


Castaway

by deathmarkedlove_archivist



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-29
Updated: 2007-01-29
Packaged: 2019-05-09 08:06:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 62,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14712302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathmarkedlove_archivist/pseuds/deathmarkedlove_archivist
Summary: A hurricane, a cruise ship...no survivors save two. Two enemies on a desert isle, learning to overcome. A vampire, a Slayer, against all nature and all odds...can they survive? NC-17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Summary: Buffy-Spike. A hurricane, a cruise ship...no survivors save two. Two enemies on a desert isle, learning to overcome. A vampire, a Slayer, against all nature and all odds...can they survive?  
> Disclaimers: They all belong to Joss Weddon and ME.
> 
> Rating: NC-17

Buffy Summers smiled brightly as she looked at the tickets in her hand, shifting her bag on her shoulders. It was heaven, pure and simple.

For her graduation present, her father had sent her a ticket for a cruise to the Hawaiian Islands, just for the two of them. It was often that she got to see her father, and this was big, big...three weeks, just them and the sun. She didn't even need to beg Giles for the time off, since summer Slaying was so slow anyway, and Faith was there to pick up the slack.

She glanced around the crowded port, her bags already having been picked up by the porters, waiting for her father to show. Finally, she caught a glimpse of him, and beamed brightly, standing on her tiptoes, waving to get his attention.

Her face suddenly fell when she saw a flash of black hair, and then his secretary, Tina was coming towards her, waving and smiling brightly, her own bag on her back. The young woman smiled as she went up to Buffy, "Oh, your father told me sooo much about you, Buffy! I'm sure we're going to have fun-fun-fun!"

"What?" Buffy glanced towards her father, who was coming up behind Tina, panting underneath the weight of all the bags, "Daddy, I thought it was supposed to be just us!"

"I know, honey, but Tina hasn't been to Hawaii before, and besides, it's about time you two got to know each other," Hank Summers said, setting down his bags to run a hand through his thinning, brown hair, then he embraced Buffy warmly as Tina headed up the gangplank to give them some time alone. "Missed you, pumpkin."

"Missed you too, dad," Buffy said dejectedly as she grabbed a few bags from him, "Missed you too..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike stared up at the lid of his coffin, irritated beyond hell. A week on a cruise ship...and he was sitting in a coffin...granted, it was nicer then the other, wooden ones he and Dru were used too, at least these ones had nice, satin lining...but still...it was pathetic. Who traveled like this anymore?

Apparently him and Drusilla.

Spike sighed, wincing when someone dropped his coffin onto the floor without a care, shifting uncomfortably, feeling cramped. No one had respect for the dead anymore.

They would have been on a plane, but the last time he had tried that, Drusilla had tried to punch out a window to catch a cloud. He was a vampire and immortal, but he was pretty sure a plane crash would pretty much liquidify him.

He heard the sound of something being dropped next to him, and knew it was Drusilla, hoping she'd remember to keep quiet, so as to not alert anyone to their presence on the ship...yet.

He shook his head slightly, closing his eyes and trying to keep some sleep, then frowned, shifting to get comfortable again. Damn this!

He pushed open his coffin, glancing around, glad to see the hold was empty, and removed a pack of cigarrettes out of his duster pocket as Drusilla opened hers too, peeking out, "Is the naughty Slayer gone?"

Spike frowned slightly in confusion, nodding for simplicity, "Um...yeah, Dru...the Slayer's gone...go to sleep, alright? We can go to our cabin tonight.."

Drusilla pouted, but obeyed, laying back down and closing the lid. Spike took a deep drag of his cigarrette, relunctant to get back into his coffin. He really hated boats.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy slammed her bag onto her bed in her private cabin, glaring at the door that led to her father's. "I just wanted you to get to know her, honey," She mocked his voice, starting to unpack, slamming her clothes into her drawers, "More like I just wanted to fuck around some more and not spend time with your daughter!"

She growled angrily as the ship pulled out of dock, flopping down face-first on her bed. "This cannot get any worse."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike finally allowed Drusilla to get out of the coffin as soon as the sun set, and they moved up to the upper decks, heading to a cabin he had purchased before. He really hated that the ships always set sail in the afternoon. It was a pain in the arse.

He opened it up, glad to see at least their bags had made it on safely before flopping out across the bed, stretching his sore, cramped body as Drusilla eyed him hungrily. He glanced at her, grinning wickedly, and she went towards him, stretching her body out over his as she kissed him.

She bit into his lower lip, drawing blood, and he growled as she sucked on it, wrapping his arms around her small body. "I'm hungry, Spike," She complained, pulling away from him, and Spike dropped his head in disappointment, gesturing at one of the bags, "There's blood in there, luv...you know we can't just go feeding on everyone."

Drusilla pouted as she climbed out of the bed and opened the bag up, lifting out a cooler and taking out a blood bag that Spike had liberated from a local bloodbank just before they left and sank her teeth into it. "It's cold...and there's no fear in it..."

"It's a bag, Dru...it doesn't have much to fear," Spike reminded her wearily, closing his eyes, "I'm going to get a quick nap before we hit the deck, pet. I friggin' hate those coffins."

"I liked mine," Drusilla said, touching her finger to her blood smeared lips, "Like a mouse...be quiet...pretend to be a corpse...all dead and still..."

"Uh-uh..." Spike muttered absently, tuning out her chatter as he had long learned to do. It seemed to be coming more of a habit since the incident in Brazil when he had caught her making out on a bench with a demon. Sometimes, he found himself getting tired of her and it scared and puzzled him at the same time. She was the only constant in his life, and she wasn't too constant anymore...especially in her affections. It was a frightening thing to contemplate, so he just locked it away, pretending not to notice.

It was easier that way.

He opened her eyes as she stopped talking, watching as she wavered a bit before collapsing and he stood, picking her up gently and setting her on the bed and brushing her hair away from her eyes. He hated to have to drug her, but he couldn't have her prancing off all about the ship. He wasn't able to keep her killing in check anymore, and he couldn't risk her killing a bunch of people before they reached port.

He sighed, stretching out beside her and drifting off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Buffy had gone to all the trouble of dressing up nicely for dinner, putting on make-up and doing up her hair...and her father was no where to be found. She had looked for him all over, finally finding him and Tina by the pool, sharing a jacuzzi, and he had told her to go ahead and eat without them, and that'll he'd meet up with her later.

This vacation was already starting to suck.

She sat her table alone, picking at her food boredly, looking up every once in a while for her father, but he never showed up. She shook her head, adjusting the skirt of her short, black cocktail dress, leaning back in her seat. She sipped at her coke, watching the couples on the dance floor with a sigh.

She tensed suddenly as cool hands clapped on her shoulders, and a silky smooth voice whispered in her ear, "All alone, pet?"

Buffy yelped, whirling in her seat to stare...at nothing, and she heard a scrape behind her and turned back towards the table to see a smirking blond pulling in a chair, straddling the back as he rested his head on his hand in a thoughtful pose.

"Spike...you son of a bitch..." Buffy reached for her purse, which was lying on the table, but Spike's hand shot out, grabbing it before she could and he dropped it on his lap, "Now, now, luv...how are you gonna explain to the other passengers the dust on the floor?"

Buffy glared at him, settling back in her seat, "What's wrong, Spike? Dru dump you again and so you decide to follow me?"

"Actually, no...Dru's here with me...and you're just an extra bonus. Didn't know you'd be on the ship..."

"What?!" Buffy shot to her feet, looking around as the other diners looked towards her, slightly irritated looks on their faces, "Drusilla's here?!"

"Relax, Slayer...didn't want her snacking on someone while we're traveling, so I drugged her," Spike said casually, lighting up a cigarrette. Buffy glared at him, waving a hand in front of her face to clear the smoke as she sat down again, "You're so staked."

"Come on, luv...I call a truce. I'm not killing while on the ship, so I'm not doing any harm..."

"Yeah, but once you get off..."

"Didn't bother you before when you let me leave the country...twice, I might add. What? Don't you like South Americans?"

"You have a point...not about the South Americans..." Buffy hastily added on, then sighed, "Keep her out of the way and no snacking and we got a deal."

"Great...so...to answer my question...you here alone?"

Buffy didn't have a chance to answer him as Hank came up, his arm around Tina's waist, who was dressed in a slinky dress, and she scowled as Spike eyed her appreciatevely, "Hey, pumpkin...nice to see you're making friends already," He said as he kissed Buffy's cheek, and Spike glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Pumpkin?"

Buffy rolled her eyes as Hank and Tina sat down, and the older man offered his hand to Spike, "I'm Hank Summers, Buffy's father, and this is Tina..."

"Nice to meet you," Spike smiled charmingly at Hank and Tina as he took each of their hands in turn, "I'm Sp--William."

"Nice to meet you, Will." Spike scowled at the shortening of his name as Hank turned his attention back to Buffy and her half-full plate, "What's wrong, honey? Not hungry?"

"I'm a little...sick," Buffy said, throwing a look at Tina who had started whispering in Spike's ear, and the vampire laughed as she rested her hand on his forearm. Hank didn't seem to notice her shameless flirting as he picked up a menu, "Well, I'm so hungry, I almost resorted to chowing down on humans."

"Me too," Spike said with a smirk in Buffy's direction, making no move to leave even though she was sending him deadly glares that she hid when Tina or Hank looked towards her. This was too much fun.

"So, Will...what do you do?"

Spike blinked in surprise at the question, and Buffy smirked at him as Tina tittered, "I bet he's a weight-lifter or something...he has really strong arms..."

"Um...free-lance...writer...?" Spike said it more as a question then a statement and Buffy raised an eyebrow, "What kind of writing?"

"Novels?"

"What kind of novels?"

"Um..." Spike glanced down at his lap, "Vampire ones?"

"Oh...like Anne Rice?" Tina asked, beaming at him brightly as Buffy snickered behind her hand, "I love Anne Rice..."

"Not me...the bint doesn't know what's she talking about," Spike muttered beneath his breath.

"I don't like what she says about vampires and sex, though...they're supposed to be a really sexual creature, and she says they're impotent..."

"Yeah, Spike," Buffy was having a hard time to keep from bursting out laughing at the stricken look on Spike's face, "Do you think vampires are impotent?"

Spike shot her a glare, "No, I don't think they are...although, some poofters probably are...only getting it on once and prancing off to parts unknown..."

It was Buffy's turn to glare at him as Hank glanced at him in puzzlement, "What was that?"

"Nothing...uh...just...nothing," Spike shook his head slightly.

"What's a poofter?" Tina asked, leaning towards Spike again and resting her hand on his knee, and Spike opened his mouth to answer her, but Buffy was on her feet, grabbing him by the arm, "Come on, we're dancing."

"We are?"

"We are," She gritted her teeth together, dragging him out on the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he rested his hands on her waist, both of them trying to keep distance between their bodies, "What the hell was that?!"

"What was what?"

"YOU! Flirting with my dad's girlfriend!"

"That's your dad's girlfriend?" Spike glanced at Tina, who was watching them, then down at Buffy, "Jeez...I thought she was your cousin or something...what is she? Twelve?"

Buffy giggled, then glared at him, "No...she's...twenty-three..."

"Oh, big difference," Spike rolled his eyes, "How old is he?"

"Forty-four," Buffy shook her head, "Don't even get me started..."

"She's not the chit that he left your mum for, is it?"

"What? Who told you that he left my mom for someone?"

"She did...remember...cocoa...you threatening me with a stirring spoon?"

"Oh...right. And no...that was someone else...Cheryl or Maggie or something like that...I can't keep them in order."

Spike whistled, raising an eyebrow, "He traded down for a younger model?"

"Don't you mean trade up?"

"Luv, with your mum, anyone else is a trade down."

Buffy raised an eyebrow as the song they were dancing to ended, and she started to walk towards the door, Spike still following her, "You're saying something nice about my mom? Who are you and what have you done with Spike?"

"What? I like your mum...she's decent people," Spike protested, "Do you know how long it's been since anyone's made me cocoa and listened to me bitch about Dru? None of my minions ever did that, let me tell you..."

"Hmm...and I just don't see Angelus as the cocoa type."

"Naw...he preferred to rot his brain with liquor..."

"Oh...and this coming from the guy who spent a good portion of his last visit to Sunnydale drunk off his ass?"

"I was dumped, I had an excuse...he was just a drunk," Spike said as he and Buffy went up towards the bow of the ship, and Buffy leaned against the railing, looking over the side into the water.

"Sounds like a lame excuse too me..."

Spike rolled his eyes and Buffy glanced at him, "How'd you know that Angel took off anyway?"

"Vampire grapevine."

"Oh...great...so I break up with Angel, and it's all over the vampire world?"

"What can I say? Slayers are big topics on the vine. Considering that you like to kill us and the way you threw us all for a loop."

"What? How'd I do that?"

"There has never been two Slayers activated at once...and it's happened twice," Spike reminded her, and Buffy nodded as the vampire jumped up on the bottom rail, leaning over too look down into the water, spitting, like he was a little kid. "What was the deal with that anyway?"

"Oh...the master killed me for a few minutes...drowning sucks, F.Y.I, and Xander revived me...but apparently I was dead long enough for Kendra to be called...and well...we all know what happened to her...and Faith was called."

"Never met the chit...what's she like?"

"Um...kinda like you...actually...whole bad girl attitude going on...she's sweet though, underneath. She and Xander are going out..."

"The whelp?" Spike whistled, "How'd he land that one? Last I heard, he was with a cheerleader or something..."

"No thanks to you. Oz and Cordy found them at the factory after you kidnapped them...getting into some major smoochies. He and Cordy broke up...and Oz and Willow were on the outs for awhile, but they're cool now."

"Oz?"

"Oh...right...you never really met him...he joined the Scoobs after you were put into the chair," She told him as he rocked back and forth on his heels, still looking down at the water, "He's a werewolf."

"Werewolf?" Spike smiled, "The werewolf, the Witch and the Watcher...sounds like a C.S. Lewis story."

Buffy laughed and Spike glanced at her, grinning madly before throwing his arms out and screaming, "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!"

Buffy started to crack up as Spike climbed down, clutching her sides, "Oh God...do that again when I have a video camera..." She gasped out, grinning, "No one is gonna believe me when I said you did that."

Spike growled playfully, "Tell anyone and I'll kill you."

"Can't...truce, remember?"

"Oh...right...damn."

Buffy sighed, leaning back against the railing as Spike lit another cigarrette, looking out over the moonlit ocean, "This sucks..."

"What? The company? I thought you knew that."

"Ha ha," Buffy shook her head, "No...my dad...and Tina..." Spike was unaware that someone could muster that much hatred into one name, and he glanced at her curiously, "Don't like the bint?"

"No...whatever the hell that means...she's okay, I guess...but my dad said it was only supposed to be us two..."

"Ah...lack of dad time...know how that is..."

"What? You?"

"They had divorce back in my day too, pet...granted, the woman usually got really screwed back then on alimony," Spike shook his head, "I was around five...my father ran off with some tart, left me mum to take care of me and six other kiddies. Never saw the bastard again."

"Really?" Buffy glanced at him, raising an eyebrow, and Spike seemed to realize who he was talking too as he ran a hand through his hair, coughing nervously, albeit unnecessarily as he flicked his cigarrette over the side.

Buffy flushed, glancing back out over the water, the comfortable comraderie broken as Spike shifted on his feet, frowning slightly as he took a step back from her, "Right...listen, I should...you know...uh..."

"Check on Dru," Buffy supplied and Spike nodded emphatically, "Yeah...Dru...check on her..." Spike turned, his leather duster swirling out behind him as he left her to her thoughts, and Buffy sighed as she looked out over the ocean, breathing deep the ocean air. What the hell was that anyway, Buff? Mortal enemy...remember?

She shook her head at her own thoughts as she pushed off the railing and headed back into the dining room to her father and Tina.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Spike went into his cabin, glancing at Drusilla, who was still lying on the bed, unconcious. He went to his bag and pulled out a syringe and a vial of liquid, then injected Drusilla with more drugs to keep her from waking up during the day before stripping and climbing into bed beside her.

She lay still as death against him, and in appearence, appeared as just that, her chest not rising and falling with breath, and her eyes did not twitch in sleep. Spike closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her, inhaling her cold, dead scent before slipping into sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy stretched out on a lawnchair by the pool, smiling as she sipped at a fruity, icy cocktail...without alcohol, of course, working on her tan. Several college students who were taking the ship to Hawaii watched her admiringly, a few boys going over to chat her up.

Despite her father's additive of Tina to the trip, she was starting to have a good time. There was nothing better then lounging by the pool and being hit on by cute guys, with no vamps in sight.

Oh...right...she sighed, thinking of her current vamp problem, but if Spike kept his word, he wouldn't be bothering anyone and Dru was out for the count. Still...she had major misgivings about the both of them.

I can't even believe that he went back to the ho, she thought with a shake of her head. There was no way she would have ever gone back to someone had cheated on her...then again, Angel techinically had with Faith...and Dru...but that was a moot point at the minute.

She scowled, her good mood dissapating. She blamed Spike, of course. She had been in a good mood, eyeing the hotties by the pool behind mirrored sunglasses...and he had come in and drove her into thinking about Angel...

You know...lunatics blame people who aren't even there...Buffy snorted, thinking of Drusilla, wonder if she still has that creepy doll.

Buffy looked up when she heard a crack of thunder, and sighed, seeing storm clouds in the distant. "Oh...perfect..." She sighed as she stood up, grabbing her pool things before heading towards her cabin to escape the coming rain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike stirred in his sleep, unconciously aware of the sudden rocking and roiling of the ship, and then he yelped as he fell off the bed, Drusilla falling on top of him.

He sat up, looking around in confusion as the ship rolled to the left, and he went skidding across the floor to slam into the wall, Drusilla rolling after him.

He stood up, trying hard to keep his balance, glancing down at Dru, deciding she was out of it enough not to notice the rocking and went towards the door to peek out. It was only one in the afternoon, but the sky was pitchblack, and he glanced down as water swept past his feet.

Rain was pouring outside in thick sheets, and he jumped as thunder cracked seemingly nearby. He went back inside and pulled his clothes on and put on his duster before venturing out the door again.

He glanced up and down the deserted deck, keeping underneath the overhang to keep dry. He removed a cigarrette from his pocket, glancing out over the ocean, wincing at the sight of the huge waves slamming against the side of the ship, then yelped when he fell against the railing, nearly pitching over.

"Brilliant idea, Spike...go outside in a storm..." He muttered as a crew member came towards him, hurrying alone.

Spike called out to get his attention, and he paused, glancing at him, "What's going on, mate?"

"Return to your cabin sir...it'll pass, sir..." The man said, but Spike scented the fear coming off of him, and growled, "What's going on?"

The man glanced around before taking a deep breath, "A hurricane's coming sir...please don't tell the other passengers...it might cause a panic..."

"A bloody what?!"

"Please, sir...return to your cabin..."

Spike ignored him, catching a glimpse of blond hair up ahead and shoved past him, heading towards Buffy.

"SLAYER!"

Buffy glanced towards him, then back out at the storm, and he froze in his steps, catching her scent of fear, "Oh...fucking great..."

Her eyes were wide, looking almost panicked as he came up towards her, "What's going on?"

"Hurricane, pet..."

"What?!" Buffy started to hyperventilate, and Spike reached out, resting his hand on her arm, "Slayer, look at me..."

She did, and he almost winced at the look of abject fear on her face. She was the Slayer...she wasn't supposed to fear anything, "What's gonna happen?!"

"Nothing, pet...just a little storm...I've been in worse," He hurried to assure her, but it wasn't working, and he sighed, glancing over his shoulder, "Go back to your cabin..."

"I don't want too...my daddy's in the dining room..."

"You shouldn't be out here, luv...and it's too far there...get inside..."

Buffy looked down the deck, and he could feel her trembling beneath his hand, and he slipped it down, capturing her hand with his. "Come on, pet...you can stay in my cabin..."

Buffy allowed him to lead her towards his cabin, and she glanced at Drusilla laying on the floor as they went in, and tensed. "Relax, Slayer...she's out of it...she won't awake up..."

Buffy nodded slowly as Spike bent and lifted Drusilla up, replacing her on the bed. He glanced around, grabbing one of her dresses and stripped some fabric off to tie her hands and feet to the bed. At Buffy's look, he shrugged, "She'll get bruised if she keeps rolling around on the ground," He explained, and Buffy nodded, rubbing her arms as if cold, still standing by the closed door.

"Have a seat, Slayer," He told her, gesturing at one of the chairs before digging through a bag and removing a bottle of scotch. He poured them both a generous glass, and she eyed it doubtfully.

"It'll calm your nerves a bit," He told her, draining his and pouring another as Buffy gingerly sipped hers, jumping everytime she heard thunder, glancing towards the door as water ran beneath it, soaking the carpet. Spike seemed unconcerned as he drank his liqour, his eyes on Dru, but she could see worry etched in his eyes.

The lights went off suddenly, and Buffy let out a scream, shrinking down in the chair, then yelling again when she fell out of it when the ship rolled sharply.

She felt strong arms grab her in the darkness, and she threw her arms up and around Spike's neck, climbing into his lap, surprising him as she burrowed her face in his chest, shaking more then the ship was.

Spike vamped out to see her in the darkness, and he saw tears pouring down her face as she sobbed quietly.

He tightened his grip on her, stroking her soft, fragrant hair as she shook against him like a leave, glancing towards the door as more water poured in. Fuck...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The storm seemed to calm down towards nightfall, but Buffy still clung to him, murmuring beneath her breath in abject fear. Spike managed to ease her off his lap, but she clung to his neck still, yelling, "No! NO! Don't leave!"

"Pet...I'm just going to the door..." He told her, standing up with her still holding him tightly. He walked with her towards the door, and opened it, looking out.

When he saw what was out there, his eyes widened, and he swept Buffy up into his arms and ran outside.

Buffy glanced over his shoulder as he raced down the deck towards a life-boat station, and screamed.

Heading towards them was at least a two hundred foot tall tidal wave.

Spike hit the life-boat station running and reached into the boat, grabbing out a yellow, rubber square, and then they were lifted off solid ground in a white, wall of water, and Buffy gripped Spike tightly as they were plunged over the side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike felt water pressing down on him on all sides, and a solid body pressed against his still.

They were swept along, spinning beneath water, and Spike felt Buffy being ripped from him, and he shouted, water filling his mouth as he caught sight Buffy's horrifed face before it disappeared in the blackness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike surfaced, spitting out water. He was still holding the rubber square he had removed from the boat before being swept off, and he struggled to pull the stopper on it as he was tossed by the waves.

There was a hiss, and then the rubber unfolded, inflating automatically into a life-raft, and he climbed over the side of it with some difficulty. He looked around, vamping out to see in the darkness, but was unable to see the cruise ship.

He tensed as he saw what looked like a pile of clothes floating by, and he plunged back into the water, swimming after them.

He grabbed them, and Buffy's head came above the water, her face pale and her lips blue. She wasn't breathing.

Spike swore, backstroking back towards the life boat and flipped her over the side before climbing in beside her. The rain drove into his back as he bent over her, lifting her up and bending her over his knees as he began to pound on her back as hard as he could.

"Come on, Slayer...spit it out...come on!" He snapped at her, and he breathed an unnecessary sigh of relief as she puked up what must have been a gallon of water, breath hitching in her chest and making her whole body shake.

She started to sob, and Spike gathered her onto his lap, holding her as she cried, his eyes searching the empty ocean for any sign of the ship. As they were lifted up on a huge wave, he saw a pale, white shape disappearing beneath the waves and he closed his eyes. Oh...Christ...Dru...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The storm disappated before dawn, leaving the two blonds shaken, wet, but otherwise unharmed. Buffy kept looking around, searching for the ship, and Spike lay dejectedly on the bottom of the raft, having neither the heart nor the spirit to tell her it was gone...for good.

Buffy finally settled back down beside him, "They'll find us, right? Once the sun comes up?" She asked, and Spike barely looked at her, "Probably not, pet...and even if they were looking...they'd only find you."

"What?" Buffy frowned, and then her eyes widened in realization. Dawn was coming, and the storm clouds were leaving. "Oh God..."

"Yeah...right...like he cares..." Spike muttered, throwing an arm over his eyes, trying to still his thoughts...but it still screamed 'Dru's dead...you let her die.'

She never had a chance...

Buffy looked around the empty lifeboat, nearly panicking again, but she forced herself to remain calm as she looked down at her clothes. "We can cover you with your jacket and my clothes...and I can keep on soaking them to keep you from bursting into flames...but you might get a bad sunburn in the process..."

Spike lifted his arm, frowning, "Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't know how long I'm going to be on this thing..." She muttered, "I don't want to be alone..."

Spike nodded, glancing up towards the sky as it started to lighten and laid down, curling into a ball, pulling his duster around him as Buffy stripped, covering any exposed skin with her clothes. She reached out into the water and began to wet him down, "Comfy?"

"I'm bloody sodden...starving...and my girlfriend is dead...yeah...I'm just peachy!" Spike snapped irritably, and Buffy sat down, staring at the bundle of clothes that was Spike, "Dead?"

"Fuck..." Spike inhaled deeply, "Sorry, Slayer...I saw the...the ship went down...the wave must've capsized it..."

"But...my...my daddy..." Buffy shook her head, "You're wrong...they're not dead..."

"Pet...the ship's gone...and probably everybody on it..." Spike sighed deeply, "They're not going to be coming for us, cause they don't know I'm on the ship, and they will probably think you went down with it...no one's coming for us..."

Buffy lapsed into silence as Spike did, and the only indication of her prescene was her scent, and the water dripping on him at periodic intervals.

Soon, though, he heard muffled sobs, and he closed his eyes, unable to do anything about them, trying to concentrate on something other then his very human shipmate, his growing hunger...and the tingling of his skin, despite his rudimentry cover.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darkness fell eventually, and Buffy pulled on her wet clothes, her skin flaring red from the sun. It had been unbearably hot, but she was a Slayer...she could deal with sunburn. Spike was a unhealthy pink himself, and he winced as he took off his shirt, whinging out the water, glancing at Buffy, who's eyes were red and puffy. "Try not to stare at the water too much, luv...it could make you go blind."

"What?"

"Reflections of the sun off the water," He told her, "Kinda like snowblindness...but with water."

"Oh..." The two mortal enemies fell into silence, both staring in opposite directions. "The boat's really gone?" She asked softly, and Spike nodded slowly, "I'm sorry, luv...but it's gone."

Buffy glanced at him, "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Save me? When Dru was still there...?"

Spike scowled at her, crossing his arms over his bare chest, "Don't get any ideas, Slayer...I was saving myself...you just wouldn't let go of me..."

Buffy looked down at her feet, chargrinned, and Spike sighed, "Sorry. I don't know...I was panicked...wasn't thinking...I just ran."

"Thank you," She said softly, looking up at him, "For whatever the reason...thanks for saving my life."

"Welcome," Spike said gruffly, looking out over the moonlit ocean, "Fuck...I'm hungry..."

"So am I...ohhh!" Buffy looked up at him sharply, scooting back in the boat.

Spike sighed, shaking his head slightly, "Not going to eat you, Slayer..."

"Yeah, till you get really hungry...God knows how long we're going to be on here..."

"I'm not going to eat you, Slayer...if I did, I'll just die before the sun rises with no one to keep the clothes wet."

Buffy eyed him warily, "But...but you have no control..."

"I have plenty of control, Slayer," Spike told her, "I went two weeks without eating once...if I need too, I'll do it again...I'll be rotting away, literally...but I can do it."

"Do we have anything?" She asked suddenly, "Flares or something?"

"Nope, no flares," Spike said, going with the subject change for the sake of simplicity. He knew the feeding thing worried her, since she was without arms, and there were sitting on a tiny boat. "I should've grabbed something else as well...but there wasn't enough time..."

"I'm sorry about Dru," Buffy said softly, "I know it hurts..."

Spike didn't answer her as he leaned his head against the side of the raft, closing his eyes, "I'm going to get some sleep, pet...baking slowly isn't really conducive to sleep..."

"Spike...the human body can go a week without water..." She told him softly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, "If...if we're still on the boat then...can you do what you promised?"

Spike opened his eyes, frowning slowly, "What did I promise?"

"To make it quick...at the school...you said you would make it painless..."

"Luv..."

"Please?" Buffy begged, though she said before she wasn't the begging type, "I want to die like a Slayer...even if I'm in the middle of nowhere..."

Spike contemplated her in silence before he nodded slowly, balling up his duster to make a pillow, gesturing for her to lie down. The two stretched out along the small boat, and Buffy pillowed her head on his chest, and he could feel her body shaking with cold, and he took out the duster, spreading it over them. "Try to wake up before dawn, luv...don't want to be fried," He told her, and Buffy smiled, closing her eyes.

"Kay."

Spike glanced down at her as her breathing evened out, then lay his head back again, staring up at the clear, night sky, the stars a million pinpoints of light above them.

I'm naming all the stars...

You can't see the stars. That's the ceiling, pet...plus it's day.

He closed his eyes, tears slipping out from beneath the pale lids. I'm sorry, Dru...oh God, pet...I'm so sorry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days passed in the lifeboat thus. The two remaining silent during the day, both too hot and too hungry to talk, and falling into fitful sleep at night in each other's arms after talking for a little while.

Spike felt the call of the bloodlust intently, but he refused to give into it, though the temptation to reach out and grab Buffy by the throat and drain her dry was overwhelming. Only his demon's sense of self-presveration kept him from doing so.

They were both sunburned to a rosy red, and whenever one of them moved, it was accompained by hisses of pain.

Buffy's entire body felt dried out and she had a severe case of cotton mouth as her body water was sweated and drained from her by the hot sun.

Spike's face was gaunt, his cheekbones prominant then usual as his face sunk in, and his gums seemed to have gone grew as they drew away from his teeth.

On the fourth day, Buffy looked up at Spike as he sat up, shedding the clothes and handing hers to her, both not seeming to care that she was dressed only in bra and underwear. Any interest that might have provoked in Spike was driven away by hunger.

"Tomorrow, Spike...if we don't get rescued...tomorrow you can do it..."

Spike looked at her in horror, and she smiled wanly, barely able to sit up, her body frightfully thin. She was weak.

"No..."

"Please, Spike...I won't make another day...please?"

He nodded slowly as he laid down, and she lay against him, her breathing shallow and laboured. He tilted her chin up so that he could stare down into her face, her eyes without life, and he brushed his dry, cracked lips against hers, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, as she did the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The small boat brushed against a reef, nearly being tossed to the side, but neither occupant seemed to notice.

But when it struck solid ground, it jolted him awake, and Spike sat up with great effort, looking around. Land..."Land..." He muttered softly, "Land...we're...on...land..."

He tried to climb out of the boat, only to trip and land in the sand, and he rolled onto his back, digging his hands into the damp sand.

"Land...Slayer...it's...LAND!" he crowed the last word as loud as he could, sitting up. He saw Buffy lying in the bottom of the boat, not moving, and he reached into her, to feel her heart still beating, but it wasn't as strong as it should be, and he couldn't shake her awake.

He forced himself to his feet, steeling himself as he looked up and down the beach, then towards the jungle in front of him. He could hear things moving around in the thick underbrush...live things...

He looked down at Buffy before dragging the boat further on the shore, so it wouldn't float away, and he brushed her hair out of her face, "Be right back, pet...promise..." He told her, quelching his blood lust as he allowed himself to vamp out and he shuffled into the jungle with a purpose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy felt something drippling on her face...cool and refreshing and she forced her eyes open to see Spike, his face smeared with blood, grinning down at her.

She jolted in shock, but Spike touched her shoulder reassuringly, "Not yours, pet...I went hunting..."

"What?" She muttered weakly, "Hunting?"

"Land, Slayer..." He grinned so wide, it looked like his face would split in two, dropping a handful of sand near her leg. He lifted up his shirt and held it over her face, wringing it out, and Buffy opened her mouth as fresh water dripped into it, her eyes closing in pure pleasure.

Spike was still a bit weak, but he was feeling much better as he lifted her out of the boat and carried her up the beach, "There's a cave nearby...there's a spring flowing through it...fresh water..." He told her, "I found it when I was chasing the monkey..."

"What? You caught a monkey?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her, and he shook his head, "It was a pain in the ass in my state...but I managed to get the bastard by stunning him with a rock."

Buffy nodded, closing her eyes as he went into the jungle, tripping on a few tree branches in the process. After about ten minutes, Buffy saw the dark opening of the cave and Spike ducked in the low opening and sat her down near the spring.

Buffy leaned over and began to hungrily drink it up, relishing the taste and coldness of it, and protested as Spike grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her back. "You have to slow down, pet...you drink too much, too fast, you'll just vomit it all back up again...won't do you any good..."

Buffy nodded, leaning back against the cool stone of the wall as Spike straightened, "I'll be right back...I'm going to pull the boat up farther on the beach...I don't want the tide to come in and take it away."

Buffy nodded again as Spike turned and trotted out, closing her eyes. They immediately shot open when she heard things moving in the trees, and she curled her knees up to her chin, staring outside.

After what seemed like forever, Spike returned and he collapsed next to her with a sigh before removing his duster and spreading it out on the ground, "Try to get some sleep, pet," He told her, "I'll watch till dawn, and then it's my turn."

"Okay," She said, lying out on the duster, shifting to get comfortable with no avail. Spike rolled his eyes as he stretched out his legs, and Buffy scooted up next to him, resting her head on his thigh before closing her eyes. "Night, Spike..."

"Night, Slayer..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

When Buffy woke up, it was well past dawn, and Spike was still awake, staring down at her. "I thought you needed your rest," He told her softly as she sat up.

She thanked the powers for Slaying powers, feeling much better as she drank from the spring, relishing the feel of the cold water hitting her stomach. She stretched out her slightly sore body, standing, "I'm hungry..."

Spike smiled, lifting something from beside him, "Mangoes...found them last night. Thought you'd be starving when you woke up..."

Buffy took it, using her chipped nails to peel away the skin of the plump, juicy fruit, and sinking her teeth into it. She ate ravenously, then smiled when Spike handed her another one, eating that one as well. She washed her sticky face and hands in the spring before going to sit near Spike again.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, "You ate a monkey?" She asked, "What kind?"

"I don't know...monkey shaped..." Spike shrugged, "It was dark, and I doubted you would have appreciated me bringing it back to the cave."

"Poor monkey..."

"You'd rather I eat you?" Spike asked, and Buffy grimaced at him, and he chuckled, "So be quiet about the damned monkey."

Buffy nodded, looking out towards the cave opening, "What are we going to do?"

"Once night falls...we'll scout the island together. See what's here. Maybe if we're luckily, we landed near a resort or something."

"You think?"

"Who knows?" Spike replied, "We may have landed on real land, not an island..." he shifted uncomfortably all of a sudden, "I was thinking last night...we may have gotten blown off course...I reckon...that we might have drifted at least a couple hundred miles off the ship's course...and that's an optimistic view..."

Buffy sat up to look at him, "What do you mean?"

"That if they even look for us...they might be looking closer to where the ship sank, pet. If we don't find life on this place...we're probably not getting off..."

Buffy shuddered, rubbing her arms as if cold, "Not getting off?"

Spike inwardly swore at the sight of her dejected face. He should have kept his stupid mouth shut...but it wasn't healthy to harbour false delusions. Not if they wanted to survive.

"Sorry, pet...but it's reality. You have to face that."

"Kay," Buffy nodded slowly, and he was almost proud to see her statement steel itself, "Right...we can do this. I faced vampires and demons...this should be no problem."

Spike smiled at her, then lay out on the ground, "If you go out exploring, be careful...if you get hurt, I can't help."

"Okay...I think I'll go down to the beach and scout around...maybe see if we're at least near a shipping lane."

Spike nodded, feeling proud of her once more as Buffy stood, "I'm going to see if I can find some food too. I can't survive on just mangoes."

"With me hunting, you won't have to worry about red meat," He assured her, "As long as there's an abudence on monkeys..."

Buffy grimaced, "I am not eating monkey meat."

"Just watch, pet...after a few months, you won't be so picky," Spike said as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. "Be careful."

Buffy stood, heading towards the opening, then glanced over her shoulder at the blond who had already fallen asleep, "Thanks," She said softly before going out into the sunlight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Buffy walked along the beach, the sound of the waves filling her eardrums. God had to be laughing at her...really, he did. Of all the people to shipwreck her on an island with...it had to be Spike.

However, at the moment, he didn't seem inclined to kill her or hurt her...but then again, she wasn't exactly fashioning a stake. He probably feared what she did. Bad enough to be shipwrecked on a deserted island with your mortal enemy...but it was a million times worse to be alone. Fights, disagreements and hostility, she could face...but the prospect of being alone was even more frightening.

Buffy stopped every once in a while to pick up things that were on the sand, things that appeared to have come from the ship. Pieces of steel, a piece of bent railing, and some clothes. She pulled some pieces of thin steel up on the beach, setting it aside in case it could be useful and gathered the clothes as well. They would really come in handy. She wasn't looking forward to wearing the same outfit for god knew how long.

As far as she could tell, there were several reefs a mile or so from the island, and probably more out farther, making it difficult for ships to come in close to shore. There was a large stone face about six miles ahead of her, reaching out into the ocean, and she could hear the roar of waves as they struck the face, being sucked into a cave near the bottom of it. She and Spike should go up there lately to look out over the island, if they were on one, but she was pretty sure that was what it was.

Jungle ran along the beach and farther inland, and she could hear all sorts of animals in the trees, which meant that there was food for Spike, as well as for her. Which was a relief in itself.

She found some more mangoes and had lunch near the water before going swimming for a little while and she opened up her eyes underwater to see all sorts of brightly colored fish swimming around a reef. She made note of that before returning to shore and pulling back on her clothes.

She went to glance at her watch, sighing when she saw it was waterlogged, and was about to toss it aside when she decided against it, slipping it into her pocket. Her father had given it to her for her last birthday.

After a few more hours, she headed back towards the cave to see that Spike was awake, and looking worriedly towards the entrance, but he turned his face away, "What'd you find, Slayer?"

"Buncha stuff," She deposited the clothes and mangoes on the ground, "Found some clothes, and some pieces of steel from the ship...I figure we can use them for something."

"Good idea. When the tide comes up, we'll walk along the beach again and salvage what we can."

Buffy smiled, sitting down to eat another mango, looking at the vampire as he stretched out his back, wincing as it cracked, "Could you not do that?"

"What'd you see?" He asked, ignoring her as he reached his arms over his head, cracking his back again, "I didn't have a chance to explore last night."

"Beach, trees...beach...and more trees."

"Bloody great..."

Buffy sighed, sitting down, "From what I can tell, there's a lot of animals in the trees, and there's fish too...but I don't think they're gonna do you any good."

"No...fish don't have real blood," Spike said, glancing around at the cave, "And I don't think either of us want to spend too much time in here, so we should start looking to make shelter that'll work for me...better it's along the beach too, so we can watch for ships."

"Okay..."

"And we should try to find more water...I don't know if that spring will dry up during a certain time of year or something. Better safe then sorry..."

"Okay..."

Spike continued to talk more to himself then her, and Buffy smiled in amusement, washing herself off in the spring before rinsing out the clothes she had salvaged from the beach. He was using her as a sounding board, not really expecting an answer.

Finally, night fell, and they were able to go outside. Along the beach, they pulled more pieces of steel up from the waterline and they headed towards the rock face. Spike looked up at the sheer face, then glanced at Buffy, "Should we go around?"

"Yeah...I'm thinking we should..."

The pair walked along the edge of the jungle, finally finding a navigatable way up the rock face. They came to the top and exchanged a look. The island was about ten miles long and twenty miles wide, but they could see water surrounding everything. "Great...still think we'll find that resort?"

Spike shook his head. It was nothing but beach and jungle. "We'll start building shelter tomorrow night," Spike said softly, starting down and Buffy sighed deeply, looking around once more before following.

They continued to explore the island, and near dawn, they found a break in the trees along the beach, about six miles down from the rock face. When they went into the trees, they found a huge waterfall, bubbling over into a large pool of fresh water that ran into a small river that meandered inland. And nearby was another cave, a bit larger then the one they had been staying in before.

Spike and Buffy exchanged a look and both grinned before they started to strip down to their underwear and they plunged into the fresh water.

It felt good to wash the salt, sand and grime off their bodies. After a while, Spike retreated into the cave as Buffy went back to the other one to grab their things and transfer them to their new shelter. And then they both fell asleep to the sound of animals moving in the early dawn, and water rushing over rocks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The next night was spent in gathering more debris from the ship wreck, mostly clothes and even a few suitcases. They also took the pieces of steel they had salvaged to the beach near the waterfall and cave.

Spike looked over what they had, frowning in thought, "We'll use the steel for the roof...for sun protection, it should work...but how the hell are we going to make the frame?"

"Spike...we're surrounding by jungle..." Buffy said sarcastically, "You're not seeing the forest for the trees...and oh my God...I just used a Giles colliquism."

"I can't believe you used the word colliquism in a sentence...and used it rightly," Spike teased, and Buffy rolled her eyes. "There's the issue of cutting them down, Slayer. Unless one of us remembered to bring an ax on our vacation."

"Actually, I did...but it's on the boat."

Spike shook his head, "Only you would bring weapons on a cruise ship."

"Hey, I learned a long time ago that nothing goes right for me...I just jumped to the conclusion that it'd be demons or vamps or something...I wasn't thinking about acts of nature."

Spike sighed, going towards the waterfall again, and he fished among the creek till he found a rock that was wedged-shape. He sat down in the sand with another rock and began striking it against the side of it, attempting to sharpen it. Buffy saw what he was doing and got her own rocks, beginning to make her own.

"Why do I feel like a cave-Slayer?" She asked as they worked, and Spike chuckled.

"Next problem...bloody making fire from mangos and rocks."

"Oh...great..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Spike watched as Buffy came into the cave, carrying a coke can she had found a bunch of little pebbles.

"Spike...how long do you think we were on the boat?"

"About four days...why?"

"Okay...and we've been on the island for at least a week and a half..." Buffy dropped 15 pebbles into the can, glancing at him, "Calendar...don't say Coca-Cola never did anything for you."

Spike shook his head, turning his attention back to the pile of sticks lying in front of him and began to strike rock against rock, trying to get them to spark.

He gave out a shout when a spark shot into the dry sparks and began they began to smoke and he leaned down to blow on them.

They finally burst into flames, and Spike grinned at Buffy, proudly pounding on his bare chest, "Me make fire for Jane."

"Great, Tarzan...too bad you ate Cheetah. We coulda partied."


	2. Chapter 2

Month One: Home

The cords in Spike's back stood out as he held down the last piece of steel on top of their shelter, and Buffy pounded into shape before lashing it into place with ropes she and Spike had braided with vines. Instead of using trees like they had discussed before, Spike had managed to find a few stands of thick bamboo, and it was much easier to lash them together, since they had no nails.

The roof had peaked, using more bamboo to insure that water would run off it, and the steel had been tied down to prevent sun exposure.

She hopped off the roof, with Spike in tow, and they exchanged a proud look. They had built the bungalow style home with their own two hands. It was simple, really. One large room, with two beds that were really pallets, with the clothes they had salvaged laid out across them, as well as broad, soft leaves from a grove of trees they had found farther down the river.

They would make rudimentry furniture as they went along, but for now, it was home.

Buffy laughed before running into it and flopping down on top of 'her' bed. "Finally! No more cave!" She exclaimed. She could have moved into it before, but she didn't really want to leave Spike all in the cave by himself before they finished covering the roof.

"Thank God..." Buffy sent him a look, and Spike grinned sheepishly, "Not that I believe in him or nuthin..."

"Uhuh," Buffy sighed, getting up again, "Let's finish moving everything from the cave into here before daybreak," She ordered, and Spike rolled his eyes as they did just that.

Buffy sat her coke can down on a wobbly piece steel on a pillar of rocks that was acting as a table, dropping another pebble in as day broke.

Spike looked around worriedly as the sun rose, looking for any chinks that let sunlight in, and Buffy hurried to pack those in with mud till no more light was showing, and finally, exhausted, they each collapsed into their own beds, not having to use each other as pillows anymore.

Neither fell asleep for a good while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Month Two: Hunting and Gathering

Buffy dived beneath the water, her eyes burning against the salt as she looked around, swimming towards a stand of coral. She saw a conch shell and picked it up, looking inside and grinning. She swam back to the surface and dropped it inside the raft before diving again.

She managed to catch a lobster as well, not too big, but it would do and she returned to the boat, paddling it towards shore again.

At the house, she could hear pounding as Spike attempted to cut a window in the bamboo for her, since she had complained about the lack of ventilation during the day. He was standing on the porch they had built so that he could at least be outside during the day, and he glanced over his shoulder, shielding his eyes from the glare as he watched her pull the raft ashore and gathered up the supplies she had gotten from the water.

Currently, he was dressed only in his black jeans, but they were full of holes and tears from when he had been climbing a coconut tree so that Buffy could drink something other then water. His hair was growing out, leaving it a bleached blond at the tips and he had a good inch of root growth, a honey-colored blond. It curled around his ears and he ran a hand through it as he watched her come up towards him.

Buffy was wearing a bathing suit they had found in a suitcase that had washed ashore, the pale, blue material standing out against her golden tanned skin. Streaks of pure blond ran through her hair, bleached by the sun.

Spike turned back towards the house and used the sharpened piece of rock to chop away at the bamboo, creating a hole in it. Finally, the bamboo dropped away, and he gathered up the sticks and sat down on the porch, tying them back together, "What you find, pet?"

"Lobster...a conch and a pretty shell."

"A pretty shell?" Spike shook his head with a small smile as he stood again, tying the bamboo back into the hole and propping it open with a stick and he grinned, "Viola...there's your window, pet."

"Thanks, Spike...it won't bother you during the day, will it?"

"We're facing the south, so I think we'll be good. By the time it becomes a problem, I'll be awake and can move around a bit," He assured her.

Buffy nodded as she sat down on the porch and Spike sat beside her, playing with the lobster she had caught, and she sighed deeply, "I counted the pebbles this morning...we've been lost for exactly two months. And we haven't seen one ship or one plane."

Spike shifted on the gritty porch, glancing at her, "I know. Sorry..."

"There has to be one, eventually...right? I mean...I know it's a big ocean and all...but..."

"Luv, those coral reefs are a hazard...and who knows how far the can reach out...or how many islands like this are around us...ships might just avoid this area all together because of them...they can't be scraping bottom."

"Gee...ever heard of false hope?" Buffy asked sarcastically, huffing as she stood up, grabbing the lobster from him, "And don't play with my food."

"Your food? Don't I get any?"

"Nope...you get monkey, I get lobster. Fair's fair."

Spike rolled his eyes as he stood up, glancing out over the water before sighing and heading inside himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Buffy woke to the sound of water striking steel, and she opened her eyes, the window near her showing a dark, overcast sky.

She could see Spike standing out on the beach, staring thoughtfully at the water, holding a long stick in his hand.

She jumped when she heard thunder, and watched as lightening struck the water out at sea. She screamed his name, and he whirled in surprise before racing up the beach, his bare feet kicking up sand behind him.

"What the bloody hell is wrong?" He shouted as he leapt up on the porch and Buffy grabbed him around the middle, burying her face against his chest as she started to cry.

Spike frowned in confusion and then she jumped at the sound of more thunder, crying even harder. Realization dawned on his features as he wrapped one arm around her, trying to soothe her fears, "Shh, luv...it's only rain...promise...it's just rain..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike used a sharpened rock as a knife, scraping it along the tip of a long stick as Buffy sat cross-legged in front of him, driving another rock into a coconut, putting a hole through the top. She watched him curiously as she drank the milk out of it. "What are you doing that for?"

"Fishing, luv. We live on a bloody beach...figure we might as well take advantage of the fact."

"Fishing? You're making a fishing pole?"

Spike shook his head, "Not a fishing pole, pet...a spear. For spear fishing," He gestured towards the beach, "There's all kinds of critters around the rocks...even at night. Figure some fish would be looking good right about now."

"Oh...so...I get to stake fish?"

"Better them then me," Spike replied,standing up and testing the weight of the spear in his hand before tossing it towards Buffy. She caught it and looked at the pointed end, then at him, and Spike raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"I just think it's kinda cool you trust me enough with this..."

"Hey, you trusted me and I don't even have to have a weapon."

Buffy nodded slowly, smiling as she went out the door to test it out. For the rest of the day, Spike watched her from the house, laughing when he heard her swearing her little head off everytime she missed.

Finally, she came huffing up to the house and threw the spear at his feet, "It's no good...they move too fast."

Spike only smiled, going to lay down on his bed, "Whatever you say, Slayer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy sat smugly on the beach as Spike waded into the water with the spear, "You're never gonna get it!" She called out to him as he struck the spear down near a rock.

He lifted it up, complete with a impaled, wriggling fish.

Buffy scowled. "Smart ass."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Month Six: Fighting

Buffy paced the house, scowling out at the heavy rain fall outside. The rainy season had started, apparently, since it had not stopped raining for nearly a week.

She was rapidly getting annoyed with Spike and his annoying habits as the week wore on. She hated the way he chewed on a twig, twirling his spear absently as he stared out the door, his gaze unfocused and far away. He was just mocking her ineffectuliaty with it. She had gottent the hang of it...sort of, but she only had a fifty-fifty success rate, while he always seemed to hit the fish every time.

Spike scowled as Buffy paced in front of him, annoyed by the way she was getting all antsy. She was supposed to be a Slayer, for God's sake...why couldn't she sit still for five minutes?

On her next pass, his spear accidently slipped between her legs, and she yelped as she pitched forward, slamming into the crappy little table and sending fruit, fish left from dinner and some blood Spike had set aside for later all over the floor, as well as her coke can full of pebbles.

Spike's eyes widened slightly as she stood up, swiping at her change of clothes, a white dress much too baggy for her, now covered in blood, and she was glaring at him murderously. Time to beat a hasty retreat...

He jumped to his feet, spear forgotten as he barrelled out the door into the rain, and Buffy picked up his spear and ran after him, both oblvious to the rain pelting them in hard pellets.

"Come on,Slayer! It was an accident!" He called over his shoulder as she came at him, and he did a quick turn in the sand, letting her run past him as he went in the opposite direction.

"YOU ARE SOOOOO GONNA DIE FOR THAT ONE!" She screamed, and Spike yelped as the spear grazed his shoulder, and he looked over at her.

"Are you nuts!? Don't throw sticks, you stupid bitch!"

"BITCH?!" She put on a burst of speed, and tackled him behind the knees, sending him crashing into the sand, and he got a mouthful of the grit, and he spat it out, twisting his body and bucking her off his legs before kicking wet sand in her face and climbing back to his feet.

Soon, they were both grinning as they chased each other up and down the beach, and Spike stopped suddenly, grabbing her around the middle as she ran past, and lifted her into the air.

She screamed and kicked her feet down at his face as he carried her towards the edge of the water as he called, "Sorry, luv, but you need to cool of--aaaahhhh!"

Her thrashing threw him off-balance and he fell into the water with her, and he growled as he sat up, his face in full-vamp mode and his bangs falling into his eyes as she laughed at him. "You look like a drowned vamp."

"I am a drowned vamp!" He growled at her, swiping at his hair as she rolled her eyes and jumped him, pushing him back into the water, and he sputtered angrily, "You brat!"

"You started it!" She retorted, screeching as he lunged at her, ducking her before swimming away from her, and she pursued him in the water, till, both exhausted and laughing, they climbed back on the sand and collapsed, Buffy panting for breath, and Spike just laying there as if dead, both soaked to the bone.

"Whoa...I think I needed that," Buffy panted out, and Spike tilted his head towards her. Her long hair lay over her chest and face in wet straggles, sand clinging to the strands, and sand and blood covered her dress, making her look like a mess. Still, she looked absolutly stunning.

"Well, I'm just glad I don't look like you," He said with a grin, and Buffy looked down at her state before groaning and dropping her head back on the sand, glancing at him. He wasn't better off with his shirt and torn jeans covered with muddy sand and his face was spotted with flecks of shell and grit, but he was grinning widely, and she couldn't help but think he looked kinda cute like that.

Spike reached over to her and lifted a sodden strand of hair from her eyes, chuckling, then falling into all out laughter, and Buffy wasn't far behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Month Seven

Spike moved silently through the jungle, his body moving with fluid grace, his muscles rippling silkly beneath his bare skin. His body was devoid of clothing as he hunted, not wanting the foreign sound of rustling clothe to scare away his prey.

He hunted without weapon, other then those sired upon him, for prey other then human, as was his usual repast. The only other human on the island was his only company, so she was spared from the hunter's eyes.

He heard movement ahead of him and he immediately fell into a crouch, pale nostrils flaring, eyes glowing with an hellish-light as he focused in one the life ahead of him. Howler...he thought automatically.

The black shape moved in the trees and he crouched down even more before letting out a snarl and leaping forward.

An inhuman shriek rose into the air, and then there was silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike slipped through the trees, heading back towards the house, his hunger sated.

He was striding along the river, pausing to wash his hands in the water, then pulling on the pants he had set aside. He straightened, running a hand through his hair, the hair now curly and nearly all black. It still curled around his ears, even though Buffy had tried her best to cut it. Even so, there was still blond tips, but he didn't really care, it wasn't like anyone else was going to see it.

He walked towards the waterfall, then paused, his keen ears catching the sound of splashing and he glanced down, the moon lighting up the water, and he inhaled sharply.

Buffy was oblivious to his prescense as she bathed in the pool near the base of the water fall, her long, golden blond hair floating on the surface, her full breasts covered with droplets of water that caught the moonlight and shimmered on her golden skin.

She looked like a siren, sent to lure men to their deaths with her song, her golden body used to seduce men, promising them a taste of something dark and forbidden. She ran her hands through wet hair, and he thought that she must know he was there...and was tormenting him, punishing him for everything he had ever done as her body arched in his direction before she dived beneath the water.

He nearly groaned as he backed away, going down an alternate route back to the house, his erection biting against his zipper, causing him to almost limp as he went along. He really hoped she wouldn't be done soon, cause he was going to be needing the house for a long while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy wrung out her hair, grimacing down at her feet as she walked into the hut, "You know...I'd kill for a vacuum...all this sand is driv--"

"OH! BLOODY HELL!" Spike yelped, and Buffy glanced at him before screeching, "OH MY GOD!" And whirling to rush out, only to run into the door jamb, knocking herself out cold.

Spike quickly zipped himself up, then looked down at the unconcious Slayer, then at the empty door frame. "Time to invest in a door, I'm thinking..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike sighed deeply as he scrubbed the entire house top to bottom with sand and water as Buffy watched on, "Ya know...a guy has needs..."

"Well, take your needs outside!" Buffy snapped, "And don't think I'm going in there till you're done!"

Spike grumbled beneath his breath, rolling his eyes as he continued to scrub.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Month Eight

Buffy frowned, opening the door to look up and down the moonlit beach a bit worriedly. For the past couple of nights, Spike had been going out God knew where, and staying out till nearly dawn, worrying the crap out of her. If he got dusted by the sun, she'd kill him.

Oh...that's what is known as an empty threat, she thought, shaking her head with a sigh as she went outside, deciding to jog on the sand for a little while.

When she came back, she could immediately sense that Spike was inside, and she sighed in relief, going in, "Glad to see you decided to make an app--" She froze suddenly, eyes going wide in surprise. Sitting at a real, wooden table, painstakingly carved and smoothed, was Spike, with a half of a mango sitting in the middle, and a little stick was burning in the center of it.

"All right...so it's not a bloody cake...but until Betty Crocker gets shipwrecked with us, you have to deal," He said with a sad grin, and Buffy smiled as she sat down on the chair he had made as well, her name carved into the back, "Spike! I can't believe you remembered my birthday!"

"How could I forget?" He glanced down at the mango, "Your candle's burning down."

She smiled, closing her eyes and making a wish, blew it out with a large smile. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

Spike looked up at her, and she saw that he had been crying, dried blood at the corner of his eyes, the orbs slightly red, and her eyes widened, "Oh...God...Drusilla..."

"Turned 200 yesterday," He said softly, looking down at the table again, "If she was...y'know..."

"Oh...Spike...I'm so sorry..." She reached across the table that didn't shake when it was touched, clasping his hand in hers, and she squeezed it gently, and Spike smiled as he looked up, "Well...enough of that depressing display...whatcha wish for?"

"Can't tell you, or it won't come true," Buffy said, giggling when he pouted, "Fine...hint. We're stuck on a desert island...so naturally, I'd want to be...you know..."

"Right...this would be the point that I say 'duh,' but I'm not that pathetic...yet."

Buffy laughed, eating a piece of her mango, "The table and chairs are great, Spike...how long have you been at it?"

"A little while...had to start working overtime the last week, though, to have them ready in time," He grimaced, "Who knew basic carpetanry skills were so hard? And the bloody splinters were hell."

Buffy smiled, standing up to go to him and plant a kiss on his forehead, "It's sweet...and we so needed furniture too."

Spike cleared his throat, looking a bit uncomfortable, "Well...uh...happy birthday anyways...even if it is kinda sucky being stuck on this island or all..."

"Hey, way I look at it...this is the only birthday I've had when something bad hasn't happened...but then again, we still got a few hours to blow that theory out of the water."

Spike chuckled, leaning back in his chair, glancing around the hut. In the last few months, it had gone from simply shelter, to a home. Shells decorated Buffy's side of the hut, tacked on the wall with sticky sap from the palm trees, while Spike had a small shelf, with several small skulls that he had found on them. Their clothes were strewn about a bit carelessly. It wasn't much but it was their home.

He turned his attention back to the table, seeing Buffy's eyes were on him, a unreadable look on her face. "What?"

"Nothing..." She murmured, glancing around just as he did, "This is it...isn't it? Eight months...and not one sign of a boat or a plane...we're never getting home, are we?"

Spike let out a sigh, "It's still a possibility..."

"Eight months, Spike," Buffy shook her head, tucking her knees beneath her chin, wrapping her arms around them, "It's time to face facts. We're never going to get off...and I'm going to die here."

"Slayer," Spike began sternly, "I don't care if I have to bloody build a boat out of coconuts, we're getting off..."

Buffy gave him a look that clearly told him that it wouldn't work in a million years. Besides the problem of building a boat with the rudiementary tools they had, there was also the problem of the sun and his inabilitiy to keep blood fresh on a boat. He'd either go mad from blood lust and kill her, or just wither away into nothing long before they ever reached safe harbour.

Spike shook his head as he stood, going to the doorway, and looking down at the beach as the early sun chased away the morning gloom, "Well...there could be worse places to be stuck, Slayer," Spike observed calmly, "People pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for beachfront property like this. We have plenty of food, water and we have shelter. Under the circumstances, what more could we ask for?"

Buffy stood up to stand behind him, looking out on the scenary. The sun was glinting off the pure, white sand, and small, ocean swells swept up the beach, cresting with a dull roar she barely noticed anymore. In the jungle behind them,she could hear the calling of birds, and movement of animals in the rich tapestry of life that seemed to surround their island.

Spike glanced down at her, then looked back outside, "Think about this, Slayer...here, there are no games...no pretending...what's the point? No one's gonna know but us. I'm no longer just a vampire, and you're no longer just a Slayer. We're just two people trying to survive with what we got...and I say we did a bloody good job of it so far."

"Yeah, and you haven't tried to kill me yet," Buffy replied, and Spike gave her a look.

"No point in killing you, Slayer. There's no one around to brag about it too..."

Buffy smacked his arm, "So, the second we get off this island, you're gonna start all over again?!"

"I think we're past that stage of our lives, Buffy," Spike smiled at her, then touched her shoulder lightly, then went back into the darkness of the hut, and lay down on his pallet, bunching his slightly raggard duster beneath his head, and closing his eyes.

Buffy continued to stare outside the door, thinking of what Spike had said. No games, no rules...no one to tell me what's right or wrong...it's like we're the last two people on Earth...Adam and Eve in Eden...

She slowly turned, staring down at the vampire lying on the pallet. As usual, he was only wearing a pair of shorts, and her eyes ran over the smooth planes of his chest and face, and she smiled slowly to herself.

Spike opened an eye when he heard the Slayer come to stand beside his pallet, puzzled when she just stared down at him, "What I do?"

"You forgot one thing that we have," She told him, and Spike frowned slightly.

"I did? What's that then?" He asked, and then his eyes widened as she lifted her shirt over her head, and let it fall to the ground at her feet, "We have each other..." She told him, stepping out of her shorts, and standing before him, completely nude, her deeply tanned skin off-setting her sun-bleached hair.

She bit her lip, suddenly self-concious when Spike just stared at her, his mouth slightly open, his eyes roving over her toned body. "Slayer...?" He finally managed to squeak out, "What are you doing?"

"Apparently humilating myself..." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest, flushing deeply, seeming to make her skin even darker.

Spike managed to snap himself out of his stupor, and he was on his feet in an instant, pulling her to him, and crushing her lips to his with a small, muffled moan. He ran his tongue along her soft lips, and nearly groaned as her tongue invaded his mouth, sweeping along his palate.

She dug her hands into his shaggy hair, her nails scraping lightly along his scalp as his arousal rubbed against he abdomen, making the Slayer groan with wanting, a deep, throaty sound that made Spike's entire body tingle.

He suddenly broke the kiss, his midnight-blue eyes burning with desire as he stared down into her flushed face, her lips swollen and pouty looking. "Slayer...' He choked out, "Are you sure? Cause...in about five seconds, I'm not going to be able too..."

She cut off his words with another kiss, and then pushed him so that he fell back onto his pallet, and she smiled at him coyly as she crawled up his body slowly, noting with satisification that he inhaled sharply, his eyes widening slightly as her breasts brushed against his bare abdomen, the muscles in his stomach quivering. "Do I look like I'm not sure?"

"Good...God...I hope not..." Spike banged his head against the pallet as she kissed his stomach, twitching a little...he was a little ticklish in the bellybutton area, and Buffy's warm, pink little tongue dipping into it wasn't helping matters any.

His mind was already fried, and he was having trouble thinking as the Slayer, of all people, seduced him, and he nearly completely shut down as her hot mouth engulfed his hard length, and he hissed, digging his fingers into the leaves beneath him, "Oh...shit...Slayer....fuck..."

Buffy smiled around his cock, watching as he continued to bang his head against the pallet, feeling a surge of power at the reaction she was invoking in the usually cool vampire, and she teased the head of his cock with her tongue, running it along the senstivie underside of the head.

He was babbling her name over and over again as he came, bucking into her mouth as it was flooded with his cool semen, unable to hold on for very long due to his long period of forced abstinance.

Buffy smiled as she straightned, then raised an eyebrow. Spike was unconcious.

She shook her head as she climbed up beside him, running her fingers over his chest as he came too, and she giggled at the incredolous look he gave her, "That's...actually...never happened to me before..."

"I take it you liked?"

"Oh...fuck yeah..." Spike growled as he gripped her shoulders, and rolled them so that she was trapped beneath his body, crushing his lips against hers, almost savage with his kiss, and Buffy moaned into his mouth, arching her hips up, suddenly craving friction as he kissed along her jawline. She tensed slightly when his lips brushed against her unprotected throat, but he only ran his cool tongue along it reassuringly, "Relax, pet..." He murmured in her ear, "I won't bite unless you ask..."

She forced her body to relax as he kissed her collarbone, dipping his tongue into the hollow of her throat as one his hands came up to cup a full breast, and Buffy exhaled sharply as his mouth closed over a peaked nipple, suckling it gently as he kneaded the other one, sending bolts of need straight to her womanhood.

She hissed, then gripped his head, pulling him back up for another kiss, then rubbed against him, "Spike...now...please..." She pleaded, trying to coax him up to her.

"Luv...let me just..."

"Now!" She ordered firmly, "Please...I need you now..."

"Bossy chit," He smiled, then groaned as he sheathed himself deep within her body, her heat searing his terminally cold body, "Oh, God...pet..."

She impatiently moved her hips against his, and he growled as he dropped his mouth to her throat, sucking at the soft skin over her jugular as he slowly began to thrust into her, the muscles in his back rippling with the movements, and Buffy ran her hands along his spine, her breathing deepening as she closed her eyes, murmuring his name.

Spike pulled away from her neck, bracing himself up on his arms so that he could watch her face as he plunged into her deeply, and she arched her body up towards him, her eyes shooting open to meet his yellow ones, and she reached up to trace the smooth planes of his face, wondering why his eyes had changed, but not the rest of his face.

Spike brought one hand up, fondling her breasts as he kissed her again, the taste of him still clinging to her tongue, and he moaned deeply as he picked up his speed, thrusting into her, and relishing the sound of their bodies smacking together, skin on skin, warm against cold.

He dropped his hand to between their bodies, and Buffy tore her mouth away from his as she gasped, her eyes widening as his talented fingers found the hard, bundle of nerves, and pressed against it. She slammed her hips upward as she climaxed, calling out his name, and Spike groaned as her silken, soft walls tightened around him, squeezing him tightly, and he thrust into her a few more times before his body shuddered, and he buried himself to the hilt deep within her, filling her with his dead seed.

After a few moments, he rolled to his side, and pulled Buffy over to him, kissing her softly, and she smiled slightly, closing her eyes as she tucked her head beneath his chin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Month Ten

Buffy smiled as she woke slowly, finding Spike's head pillowed her chest. He was part growling, part purring against her skin, and she wondered idly if that was his way of snoring as she ran her fingers through his tousled hair.

The vampire murmured sleepily, snuggling closer to her, and she glanced towards the door as a cool, ocean breeze blew in, and she suddenly sat up, her entire body going rigid. "Spike...wake up..." She hissed at him, and Spike jerked his head up, looking at her dazedly, "Huh? What's wrong?"

She pointed towards the door, and Spike's eyes widened when he saw the huge, midnight black clouds looming in the distance, and the sound of the ocean swells pounding the beach below. "Fuck..."

"Is it...?"

"No...probably just a tropical storm..." Spike scrambled out of bed, pulling his lover to her feet, "Grab some food and head to the cave, pet. It's the safest place for now..."

"Where are you going?" She asked fearfully as he started pulling on his clothes, and he paused to kiss her forehead reassuringly, "I'm going to grab some wood, and some find some food for myself...these storms could last a few days. I'll meet you there, luv...promise..."

Buffy nodded slowly, chewing on her lip as Spike slipped out the door and headed towards the jungle before grabbing food, the tools they had made, and Spike's fishing spear. She made a few trips back and forth, jumping everytime lightening crashed in the distance.

Her heart was pounding faster then ever before, and her skin had broken out in a cold, panicked sweat as she hurried to get everything done. Soon, she retreated into the very far back of the cave, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she tried to compose herself.

An hour later, Spike appeared, carrying a large armful of wood, and he grimaced as he dropped them on the floor of the cave. "I'm so bloody, goddamn stupid..." He cursed himself, and Buffy looked up at him in relieve as he knelt, starting to build up a small fire to keep her warm, "I should have noticed that the fuckin' animals had been more scarce the last few days...I couldn't find one bloody thing moving out there. They've been prepared for this longer then we have..." He sniffed the air, then glanced towards Buffy, seeing she was shaking.

"Luv, come here," Spike beckoned for her and she went towards him, sinking into his embrace with a contented sigh as his strong arms held her tightly, "It's gonna be fine. Just a bit of wind and rain, and the world's good as new again."

"What about our house? Will it be okay?"

"Should be...but if it doesn't hold up, no worries. We'll rebuild," Spike assured her with a grin, "This time...indoor plumbing."

Buffy giggled, "And how are we gonna do that? Build a portapotty out of rocks and mangos?!"

Spike scowled at her, but it was playful, glad that he had at least gotten her mind off the coming storm, then winced when a roar filled the air, and Buffy clutched his arm, her nails digging into his skin. "Oh God..." She muttered, snapping her eyes tightly closed.

Spike looked up sharply at the sound, pulling Buffy onto his lap so that he could hold her even closer, and he murmured soothingly in her ear, while keeping a close eye on the entrance to the cave as the storm hit with all it's force.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

 

"Buffy..." Spike's soft voice pulled her from the darkness of sleep, and Buffy opened her eyes tiredly. She was cradled against his side, the pair having retreated towards the back of the cave when water had flooded the bottom part. Luckily, it was higher in the back. "Luv...it's the eye...we got about forty minutes to stretch our legs..."

"Uh? Eye?" Buffy repeated, and Spike smiled.

"Eye of the hurricane. I want to try and see if I can scare something up to eat before we get hit again..."

Buffy stood up a bit shakily, looking a little panicked, "No...you don't have too..."

"Pet...I'm starving, I'm colder then usual, and I feel like a drowned rat...and you don't seem much better. You need to get warmed up a bit..." Spike took her hand, and they sloshed through the water at the front of the cave. Spike glanced up at the clear night sky above them, repressing a shudder at the false calm.

They climbed up towards the waterfall, and Buffy sat on a rock, grimacing at the dampness, and Spike smiled, "I'll be back in a bit, before the storm comes again...but if the wind picks up, I want you to go back in the cave..."

"You'll be here before then, won't you?" Buffy asked, her eyes widening slightly, and Spike nodded at her, kissing her forehead.

"With bells on, Buffy. Promise," Spike shrugged out of his duster and wrapped it around her shoulders, "I'd light a fire, but it's too bloody damp. Try walking around a little bit to get warm, alright?"

Buffy nodded, watching worriedly as her lover slipped into the jungle, then turned her eyes towards the black, boiling sky in the distance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike was pushing his luck, and he knew it. He had already been in the jungle for an hour, but was still unable to find something to eat. The animals had all gone into hiding. He considered turning back, but he had to keep looking. The second half of the storm, from the looks of it, was going to be worse then the first. They had already been trapped in the cave for a day and a half...he didn't trust himself to be around her for another two days.

He rubbed his hand over his face, surprised to feel the ridges. It wasn't good if he was going into game face and didn't notice it. He growled in annoyance, then plunged deeper into the jungle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was watching the trees closely as the wind whipped her hair around her face and head, Spike's duster wrapped firmly around her body. She glanced towards the storm, watching as lightening flashed, shuddering. "Spike...where the hell are you?"

Nobody answered her, and as the rain started again, she was forced to retreat back to the cave, and she watched the entrance worriedly, unconciously rocking back and forth on her heels.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have to be the most bloody insane man on the planet...

Spike ran a hand through his hair, accidently leaving a livid, crimson streak through the honey-blond locks. He had been forced to climb a palm tree, and he had found a small monkey, but he had sliced his hands open on the palm fronds while trying to catch it. He had also cut up his last pair of jeans while climbing the tree, and his knees were now scabbed and bloody.

And too top it off, rain was driving down at him in hard, sideways sheet. Each drop felt like a pinprick in his skin. Lightening flashed ahead of him, heralding the coming of the second half of the storm. The trees groaned as the wind picked up.

Spike growled as he bent forward, trying to fight the force of nature shoving back at him, then jumped when a tree nearby was struck by lightening. He started to sprint, but that only served in tiring him out as the wind and rain kept beating back at him, seeming to become more intense the harder her pushed back at it.

It took him an hour to reach the entrance of the cave, and he gave a sigh of relief. Then lightening flashed above him, and his eyes widened. A tree had fallen across the mouth of the cave, blocking his only way in, and effectively trapping Buffy. "GOD BLOODY DAMMIT! CAN'T SOMEONE CUT ME A BREAK?!" He snarled at the sky, as if challenging nature herself, then turned his attention back to the cave.

He tried to wrap his arms around the slick, damp trunk, rain biting into his back from behind, and the wind trying to shove him forward into the sharp, knife-like ridges of the bark, and he growled as his hands were cut up even more.

His feet slipped in the slick mud, and he fell against the bark, hissing as his chest rubbed against the bark, and he looked down, his shirt ripped into shreds, and his skin looking no better. He sucked it in, closing his eyes as he reached around the trunk again, trying to yank it away from the cave, but soon, he gave up, panting needlessly as he rested his forehead against the bark, cursing.

He felt a chill hand touch his, and he sat up a bit, peering over the top of the trunk to see Buffy's wide, frightened eyes looking at him fearfully, "Spike...I can't move it from my side either..."

"It's all right, Slayer..." Spike told her, biting his lip when he could scent her fear quite clearly, despite being downwind of her, and she took a deep breath.

"Can you get to the other cave? The one we stayed at when we first got here...?" She asked, trying to hide the fear from her voice as she knelt in the dirty water, her entire body soaked, but Spike shook his head, "I can't...I'm too bloody tired...I'm just going to stay here..."

"But..."

"No worries," he smiled wanly, "Won't kill me, right?" He squeezed her hand gently, and she tightened her grip on it, "Now...go back in the cave before you catch yourself a cold, all right?"

She nodded, and obeyed...for about ten minutes before she was back, her entire body trembling as the lightening continued to crash, and she could hear the roar of the wind and the trees cracking under the strain of the gale-force winds.

Spike reached his arm through the hole as far as it would go, wincing when he sliced it again on a piece of rock jutting out, but he ignored the pain as he awkwardly wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulder, and she pressed herself against the trunk, resting her head against the junction of his elbow and arm, closing her eyes tightly as Spike whispered to her soothingly, telling her nothing and everything as he braved the storm for her sake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was shaking in her sleep, from both cold and residual fear that carried over into her dreams. Soon, however, the sound of silence woke her, and she blearily opened her eyes. She was sitting in a puddle of water, and she was soaked through and through...and Spike's arm was still wrapped around her.

She sat up, glancing through the hole to see the ashen faced vampire resting with his cheek against the tree trunk, numerous cuts and scrapes marring his face. "Spike...?"

"Ugh..." The vampire moaned groggily, opening his eyes slowly and he glanced at her dazedly, "Dru?"

Buffy felt a fresh stab of fear, "No, Spike...it's me...Buffy..."

"Bloody doll..." Spike closed his eyes again, "Oughta smash the damn thing..."

Oh Crap...he's delirous...Buffy gently put his arm back through the hole, wincing when she heard him land in the knee deep mud outside as he lost his only grip on the tree, and sat back on her butt, bracing her feet against the trunk of the tree. For forty minutes, she pushed and grunted, trying to dislodge it, and then, finally, it gave with a loud crack, part of it breaking off. After another forty minutes of pushing, she managed to create a hole big enough for her to just squeeze her small body through.

She landed on her hands and knees, and she panted for breath labouring, glancing up at the clear, lightening sky, and she glanced at Spike, then back at the hole. There was no way she was going to be able to get him through there, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able move the rest of the tree. Her joints and legs ached to the point of incapacitation, and she was tired enough to want to just fall over in the mud and sleep right there.

She forced herself to her feet, going towards Spike, and she dropped beside him, rolling him onto his back, his entire front covered with black mud, and she slapped his face lightly, trying to wake him, all the while wincing when she took in his sliced up chest, legs and arms, and his back had looked raw and red from the constant beating of the hard rain, and the buffeting he had recieved from the wind coming at him from behind.

"Please, Spike..." She pleaded, "Wake up...the sun's coming up..."

He opened his eyes again, the orbs shining with delirum, and he mumbled something in what sounded like Chinese or Japenese, and Buffy groaned, slipping his arm around her shoulders, and pulled him forcefully to his feet. "You have to walk with me, Spike...I'm too tired to carry you..." She told him, and he garbled at her in another language that she couldn't identify. He at least seemed to understand her, and slowly, they put one foot in front of each other.

Buffy stumbled over a fallen tree, and she collapsed, with Spike landing on top of her, the vampire slipping into unconciousness. She groaned, then glanced at the tree they had fallen over. It was braced against a rock, and there was an opening just big enough for Spike to fit under.

She rolled him beneath it, then found some leaves to cover him up with. She then laid down beside him, uncaring about the damp ground, and pulled his arm around her waist, snuggling up against him. She shivered, and his grip tightened around her as he rested his cheek to hers, and Buffy closed her eyes, allowing sleep to claim her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Buffy woke as the sun started to set, Spike's arms wrapped around her waist, and she weakly elbowed him a bit. The vampire opened his eyes with a small groan, "Slayer?"

She smiled in relief that he was lucid once more, "The sun's set...we can get out now..."

"Get out?" He repeated groggily, looking around him in confusion, then with a great bit of difficulty, used his arms to push himself upright, the effort tiring him immensely. He never had felt so weak in his life, even when Buffy had dropped a church organ on him.

He glanced around, wondering how he had gotten from the cave, then glanced at Buffy as she shuddered, still wrapped up in his duster.

"Do you think you can walk?" Buffy asked, "I don't think I can carry you again..."

"Gonna have too..." Spike winced, forcing himself to his feet with another groan, "Bloody 'ell..."

"I told you to leave," Buffy said, sounding suddenly angry, "You could have gotten killed! And where would that have left me?!"

"Sorry, pet," Spike gave her a weary look, then scented the air, hoping to catch a scent of some nearby animal, then sighed in disappointment, "How bad was the damage?"

"Huh?"

"To the house, pet, how bad is it?"

"I don't know...I didn't have a chance to look," Buffy replied, "You might have to sleep underneath it..."

"Bloody grand," Spike muttered beneath his breath, then sighed as they leaned against each other for mutual support, making their way through fallen trees and piled up brush towards the beach.

They pratically stumbled out onto the sand, their feet sinking into the still damp sand. They stopped on the sand, and Spike let out a relieved laugh as he let go of Buffy, flopping down on the sand. "Finally! Someone cut us a bleedin' break!"

Buffy smiled as she looked over their house. It was completely intact, save for a bit of the steel had been sheared off, and landing in the trees behind the hut, then glanced down at Spike, who was grinning tiredly, but his eyes were shining as he rolled back to his feet, "If I still believed in God, I'd be thanking him right about now..."

"You're atheist?"

"No, Slayer...I'm the only Catholic vampire on the bleedin' planet," Spike replied, heading into the shack, and Buffy followed him, rolling her eyes.

He collapsed on one of the pallets, and Buffy smiled wearily as she laid out next to him, and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her throat tiredly before closing his eyes, falling into a much needed sleep.

Buffy turned in his arms, unable to fall asleep, and she smiled as she watched her lover's chest rise and fall with habitual breath, and rested her head against his chest, splaying one warm hand across his abdomen, careful not to touch any of his cuts and bruises.

She smiled slightly as she thought of the way he had stayed outside of the cave all during the storm, one arm wrapped around her. She would have been safe alone, so it wasn't a matter of him trying to keep her alive so he wouldn't be alone. He actually...cared. Cared about her..how weird is that?

She sat up a bit to stare down into his peaceful features, then reached out a hand, tenderly tracing his face with her fingertips, a small smile coming to her lips.

"Whatcha thinking?" Spike suddenly asked, his eyes still closed, and Buffy tensed in surprise, then relaxed against him.

"Just thinking I owe you one," Buffy replied softly.

"Not at all," He replied, finally opening his eyes, then cocked an eyebrow at the look of complete contement on her face, "Why do you look like the cat that just ate the canary?"

"Huh?" Buffy looked confused, and Spike chuckled.

"You look...happy...I can't figure out why the hell you are...since you just spent an entire night wet to the bone in a bloody cave..."

Buffy kissed his lips with a small smile, "No reason. Just glad to be here..."

"Really...even if it's with your mortal enemy?"

"Yeah," Buffy snuggled against his side with a small sigh, "Even with my mortal enemy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One Year and Three Months

Spike frowned as he listened to Buffy retching outside, wondering what in the hell was going on. For the last few weeks, she had been sick every morning, and then she'd come inside, then eat as if she hadn't just purged about six pounds worth of fish, mangos and monkey meat out of her stomach.

Buffy came back in a few minutes later, glancing at Spike, his honey-blond hair finally free of all dye, and flopping in his eyes as he bent over a rock, sharpening another fishing spear. He looked up at her in concern, "You feeling all right, pet?"

"Yeah...I'm just fighting whatever bug I got..."

"I don't know where the hell you got it," Spike replied, "We're the only two people on the bloody island. A cold, I understand..but the flu's a virus, ain't it? You can only catch it from other people...and I sure as hell didn't give it to you."

"I'm fine!" Buffy snapped, and Spike looked down with a low growl.

"Well...just bloody well excuse me for caring!"

Buffy sighed, then plopped down on his lap, effectively stopping his work, and he wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Sorry...I've been kinda bitchy lately..."

"Yeah..." Spike chuckled as she glared at him, "But I forgive you, pet."

"Good," She snuggled with him, content for the moment, then suddenly flew off his lap, and back outside.

Spike shook his head slightly, "I hope you're covering that up with sand!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike ran a hand through his damp hair as he grimaced down at his bare feet, sand sticking to it as he went into the hut, shaking his head slightly, "Christ Almighty...the sand thing is killing me..." He paused, frowning when he saw Buffy sitting on the floor, counting her calendar stones. "Why are you doing that again? You did it just this morning...three times...four more times in the afternoon..."

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes slightly wide, "Spike...I skipped a period..."

"So?"

"Spike...I never skip a period...never, ever!"

"Relax, pet," Spike flopped down on their bed, "I can't knock you up..." He saw the look on her face, "I can't...right?"

"Think about it, Spike...all the food I'm eating...the sudden craving for red meat..."

"Your diet's a wee off...and you're a growing girl..."

"The morning sickness, Spike..."

"Oh...fuck..." Spike stared at her, "How the hell can you be pregnant?! I'm a vampire, last time I checked!"

"I don't know! It's definitatly yours, since there's no one else here!" Buffy looked dismayed, "I can't be pregnant...not here..." She almost whimpered, "I mean...there's no hospitals...what if something goes wrong?!"

"Relax, pet," Spike held out his arms for her, and she abadoned her stones to sink into his embrace, tears springing to her eyes, "My mum had me with just my aunt helping her...and my mum was a mid-wife...and I was her assistant when my sister Susanne died...so I know a bit about babies..."

Buffy sniffled as tears slipped down her cheeks, and she looked up at him, "Your mom was a mid-wife?"

"Yep..." Spike smiled reasurringly, cupping her chin and brushing his lips across her forehead, "I must've helped with about twenty births...it's no big deal, really...some hot water...towels..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah..." A sudden grin broke over Spike's face, "I'm having a baby..."

Buffy giggled as he suddenly stood up, swinging her around happily, crowing loudly, "I'm having a baby!"

"Spike...you know I'm the one that's pregnant, right?" Buffy teased and Spike's grin only widened.

"If it's a boy, we're naming him William. Elizabeth if it's a girl."

"What? Don't I get a say?" Buffy complained, "I'm the one pushing that sucker out!"

"Nope!" Spike let go of her, and ran to the doorway, yelling out onto the empty beach, "I'M HAVING A BABY!"

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, his excitement very contagious, and she giggled as he whirled and wrapped one arm around her waist, and started to waltz with her around the hut, and then he kissed her so hard, her lips felt almost numb afterward, but that still didn't wipe the smile off her face. If anything, it only got bigger as Spike kissed her cheek with a loud smack.

"This has to be the best day of my unlife," He exclaimed, "I never thought...you know...that I could..."

"Must be a Slayer thing..." Buffy replied, and Spike grinned as he pulled her close, rubbing his nose along her face playfully.

"I'm having a bbbbaabbyyy..." He sang loudly, and off-key as he started to dance with her again, beaming brightly, "Baby, baby, baby..."

"You're nuts, you know that, right?" Buffy told him, rolling her eyes, and he laughed happily, "I love you, you know that, right?"

Buffy tensed slightly, and Spike stared at her, looking a bit self-concious. He hadn't meant to let it slip just like that...but he couldn't help it. He was in love with the fiery young woman, who was carrying his child...but he knew she couldn't possibly love him like that...not when she loved Angel. He was just there, is all...never in a million years would she love a mons--

"Love you too, fangbreath," Buffy smiled brightly, "But if it's a girl, I want to name her Jennifer..."

"No way. Elizabeth was my mum's name...and it's yours too...so you're outvoted..."

"There's two of us! How can I be outvoted?!"

Spike dropped to his knees, kissing her stomach, "What do you say, luv? Jennifer or Elizabeth?"

Buffy giggled as he pressed his ear to her belly, then he grinned up at her, "She says Elizabeth."

"What if it's a boy, Spike? Since he voted Elizabeth, are we gonna him that?"

"Course," Spike chuckled, "I'm very open-minded...if he wants to be girl, let him be a bloody girl...who's gonna see him?"

"You're demented, you know that right?"

"Yeah, but that's what you love about me," Spike jumped back to his feet, and kissed her soundly with a large grin, then raced out the door.

"Where are you going?" Buffy called out, going to the door, and Spike glanced back at her, "Well...we're gonna need a nursury of sorts, right? Better get cracking if we want everything ready by then!"

Buffy shook her head with a smile as she watched the vampire rush off into the trees, then rested her hand against her belly. "That's your dad, kid...yeah...I'm scared too."


	3. Chapter 3

One Year, Three Months

Habits

 

Buffy smiled as she watched Spike sleeping, the vampire purring ridiculously, his head resting against stomach. He had fallen asleep while straining to hear the baby's heart beat, Buffy not having the heart to tell him that the baby's organs had yet to form as of yet.

She was still in awe. In part, due to her seemingly miraculous pregnancy...and to Spike's contagious excitement. They had spent nearly all day making love and cuddling, quietly discussing _their_ baby… _their_ child, sounding like all the world like any other normal parents to be.

As the sun started to fall beneath the horizon, Spike stirred, lashes brushing against his cheek before his eyes opened. He yawned widely, and Buffy cocked her head, watching as he sat up on his hands and knees, arching his back with another yawn, looking like a sleepy, languid jungle cat.

“Morning,” He greeted her, and Buffy raised an eyebrow as he lay beside her, snuggling up to her side and nuzzling her throat, “It's night time, Spike…”

“It's morning for me,” Spike replied sleepily, kissing the skin above her jugular, shoving down the mild blood lust that was characteristic for him when he first woke at night. He had full-control of his demon, and if the time ever came that he didn't, he'd find a branch to stake himself on before he'd ever hurt the beautiful woman running her hands over his chest, or his child, currently a bundle of cells growing within his Slayer's womb.

My Slayer…he let out a short possessive growl as he pressed himself firmly against her, his arousal rubbing against her warm thigh, _my Slayer…my child…_

“Spike…do we have any more monkey?”

Spike groaned against her skin, “No…”

“Your stomach's rumbling.”

“Is that code for `get your fine ass out of bed and feed me?'” Spike asked and Buffy smiled coyly.

“You know me so well.”

Spike sighed, dragging himself out of her grasp reluctantly, “Your wish is my command, my darling,” He muttered, kissing her lips, and she gave him a light shove when he tried to deepen it, ignoring his petulant pout.

“Hungry.”

Spike straightened with another sigh, “I'm going,” He pulled on his pants, “This isn't going to become a habit, is it?”

“Most likely,” Buffy answered with a sweet smile as the vampire grumbled beneath his breath and disappeared out the door.

 

One Year Four Months

Regrets

 

"I can hear him," Spike grinned as he pressed his ear closer to Buffy's abdomen, then looked up at her in confusion, "Is his heartbeat supposed to be that fast? He's only a little thing..."

"Yep. A baby's heart beats faster then an adult's," Buffy assured him, and giggled as he snuggled back against her stomach, an excited look on his face. She looked up at the clear night sky from where they were lying on the beach, both completely nude after making love in the sand.

Spike's cheek was cool against her skin, and she closed her eyes, letting the sound of the surf wash over her, and feeling the peace of almost complete solitude soothe her to the core. Her entire body felt relaxed and sated, and she glanced down at Spike, who had closed his eyes, absently tracing circles on her stomach, a small smile on his face.

"Any regrets?" She broke the still silence, and Spike lifted his head in surprise, "Huh?"

"About...coming here...to the island? About...not being rescued..."

"Hmmm...there's a double-edged question if I ever heard one..." Spike muttered, kissing her stomach before sliding up beside her, and propping his head on his elbow, "Do you mean...that I could have had the choice between getting stranded, whether or not I would take it?"

"Yeah," Buffy replied softly, "Assuming we made it to Hawaii, and went our seperate ways..."

"In that case...then no. No regrets," Spike dipped his head down, kissing her slowly, then replied once he broke the kiss, "I mean...sucks being stranded, sure...but...if we hadn't, I wouldn't be lying here with you...listening to our child...can you honestly say that...you've been happier then you are right now?"

Buffy thought for a few seconds. Here, there was no stress about Slaying, about Sacred duty...she didn't have to worry about protecting her friends, and no one judged her actions with prejudice. She did miss Willow, though...and she missed Xander and his witticisms...but she wouldn't trade the way Spike was gazing at her as he stroked her cheek lovingly, his deep, blue eyes shining with love and tenderness for anything in the world.

"No," She replied truthfully, and smiled as he buried his face in the base of her throat with a content purr, and she ran her fingers down his back, closing her eyes with a small sigh. She felt Spike's hand trail down her body, and she giggled, opening her eyes to meet his mischeivously shining ones, and pulled him down for a kiss as she gave him a light shove, rolling with him in the sand.

He gazed up at her as she raised herself, and she moaned as she sank down on his erection, "God...I love you so much..." He murmured, and Buffy smiled playfully as she leaned down towards his face.

"Ditto, Fangbreath."

 

Spike's body slid smoothly through the water, and salt burned the vampire's eyes slightly as he opened them, but he ignored the slight discomfort.

Above him, the full moon lit up the ocean world in a silverly luminance, and a school of fish flashed by him in a beautiful storm of silver and black.

A ghostly shadow passed below him, but he ignored the barricuda, knowing it wouldn't bother him if he didn't bother it. Even so, he couldn't help but feel like an intruder in a world where he didn't belong.

Above him, a black shadow passed, and he glanced upwards, allowing his dead weight to sink closer to the sandy bottom as a nurse shark moved closer to shore, probably chasing the school of fish that had passed him just a few moments before.

He glided closer to the reefs, then unslung the sack from his shoulder, vamping out to see better into the black crevasses in the coral. A flittering, black ribbon moved in his vision, and he jerked back as the moray eel jutted it's head out of it's lair, wide maw gaping, and Spike moved aside as it's long, ribbon-like body moved silkly away.

He turned back to the reef, reaching into a hole carefully, and smiled as his hand closed over a hard shell and he pulled out the alien, wriggling body of a lobster, and shoved it into the sack.

He gave a kick, and he rose to the surface, taking a deep gulp of air he didn't need. He started to breast-stroke back towards shore, where he could see Buffy waiting.

The Slayer smiled as she watched Spike come back towards her, water glittering along his pale white skin as he straightened in the waist-deep water.

 _Like moonlight_...Buffy thought, smiling a bit at the thought as the vampire ran a hand through his longish locks, trying vainly to smooth it back from his forehead, but it only flopped back over his pale brow.

He gave a sigh, looking frustrated, and Buffy giggled at his expense as he came ashore, and she blushed a tiny bit, "You know...there's still some shorts in the hut..."

The vampire shrugged, unconcerned about his current state of undress, "I'd bloody well sell my soul for a bleedin' bottle of hair-gel," He complained, and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Spike...you don't have a soul."

"Oh...guess I'll have to sell yours. Don't mind, do you?"

She swatted him playfully, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, nuzzling her throat lovingly, hand trailing down to her abdomen as was his habit these days. He couldn't seem to get enough of touching her stomach, wanting to be close to their child as possible. She had a sneaking suspicion that if he could have carried it himself, he would have.

 _Strange vampire_...Buffy thought as he tumbled her down into the sand, then giggled as he tickled her belly with his lips, mouth and tongue.

 

One Year, Five Months

Trust

 

Spike smiled slightly as he traced the Slayer's stomach with cool fingertips, watching as the mother of _his_ child slept, a peaceful smile on her lips. He growled softly as possessiveness and love washed over him like the roaring waves washed over the sand on the beach, and he clutched the sleeping mortal closer to him, lovingly brushing his lips over her throat.

He gazed down at the unmarred expanse of golden skin, the demon in him screaming at him to claim what was his, to make Buffy his, truly.

He ignored the demon trapped inside him as he continued to caress Buffy, watching over her as she slept, but couldn't help feeling a twinge of doubt.

He was more then just a demon, while at the same time, he was more then just a man. He was William the Bloody, Spike...a vampire once part of the unholy trinity, the scourge of Europe for a hundred years...killer of two Slayers, murderer of countless innocents, and he didn't regret anything. He was soulless but he loved his mortal emey with his entire being...his entire self...demon and man.

But could she? Love the demon that both adored her and worshipped her, while at the same time, screaming for her blood...to make her like him, a creature of darkness...could she love and accept that part of him?

He sighed as he brushed her hair from her face, then kissed her forehead lightly, so not to wake her.

It probably didn't matter while they were on the island...but what if they did get off? What if they did get back to the cruel and harsh world full of judgemental people...would she be able to accept and embrace the creature that he was?

He sighed again as he nuzzled her throat tenderly, lying his hand on her abdomen, and lay beside her, inhaling her scent deeply as he tried to fall asleep, but it was a long time coming.

 

Buffy was pulled from the confines of slumber by the feel of a rough tongue bathing her throat above her cartoid artery, and heat flushed her body as she opened her eyes.

She jerked a bit in surprise when she saw Spike in game-face as he slept, lazily licking her throat, but he made no attempt to bite her, and she relaxed against him, snuggling deeper into his embrace, his skin warm against hers from the body heat she put out.

She reached up and traced the edges of his ridges with her fingertips, smiling as a deep, growling purr started to emanate from his chest, and his eyes fluttered open, flashing amber at her briefly, but he was still deep within the pull of sleep, and Buffy smiled slightly as his purring only deepened, his chest vibrating against hers as she continued to explore his face.

Her fingertips brushed against his lips, and they parted slightly with a soft sigh, and she traced the edges of his fangs carefully, so not to cut herself, then pressed her lips against his gently.

When she withdrew her fingers from his lips, his head drifted back to her throat, and he returned to licking her throat with his rough, pink tongue, and Buffy closed her eyes, falling back to sleep as her demon lover continued to attend to her throat, completely trusting him.

 

One Year, Six Months

Nesting

 

He was nesting, Buffy realized in amusement as Spike fussed over her a bit too much, since she wasn't barely even showing her pregnancy, except for a subtle swell of her belly.

He was also child-proofing the entire bungalow, as well as trying to build furniture for the coming child. A half finished trundle-style bed was in the corner, sand lying in a coconut beside it as he tried to sand down the wood the old-fashioned way, not wanting his son or daughter to get splinters.

She knew a little bit about a vampire's nesting habits from half-listening to Giles. Usually, a vampire nested when their mate was in danger from outside sources, or injured in a way that would take a long time to recover from. They would build a safe haven around their mates to protect them, filling it with small comforts and such so that they would want for nothing during their internment.

He was also overly protective of her. Whenever she went out during the day, he would sit on the porch, straining to keep her in sight, and if she wasn't in his view, when she came back, she would find him pacing the length of the porch, and a look of abject joy and relief crossing his face when he saw her.

During the night, he would go everywhere with her, and he never spent much time hunting, since she couldn't follow him into the dark jungle and keep up with his swift, hunter speed without the benefit of his advanced night-sight.

As a result, he sometimes neglected to feed at night, but the instant she indicated that she wanted some red meat, as soon as the sun was set, he'd be out the door, bringing her what she wanted. She took advantage of that fact to keep him healthy and fed.

Also, almost every night, she'd wake to find him licking her throat while he slept, always in game-face, and she wondered idly if he even knew he was doing it. He didn't even seem to be aware of his nesting behavior.

She lay beside him, sleepy and languid, her body sated, which she had a sneaking suspicion was Spike's purpose. If she was sleepy and comfy, she was less likely to stray out of his sight for long, if at all. _Devious man_...she thought with a smile as he played with her hair, his cool body a welcome sensation from the blazing sun out of doors. He was like her own, personal cooling system.

She snuggled tightly against him, closing her eyes as he nuzzled her neck, kissing her where the junction of her shoulder and throat met, and then he paused, frowning when he noticed the faintly red and abraded skin at her throat, "I think you're getting a rash."

"Hmmm?" She opened her eyes and touched her throat, then smiled a she closed her eyes again, "No...that's just where you were licking me," She told him, watching him from beneath slightly slitted eyes to see his reaction. He looked surprised.

"I was licking you? When?"

"For about a month. You were asleep...and in game-face for some reason," She yawned, "It's no big deal."

"No big deal?" He repeated, sitting up abrubtly, and she looked a bit annoyed at the loss of contact, "I didn't bite you...did I?"

"No, you didn't bite me, didn't even try," She yanked him back down to him, forcing him to lay back down so that she could drape herself over him, "Now hold still. I'm trying to stay cool."

He looked worried still, and she sighed, "Spike...I trust you. I know you won't hurt me, and I think I know what the licking thing is anyway...it's probably a part of your whole nesting behavior."

"Actually...it's not..." Spike looked slightly uncomfortable, "It's...my way...of placing a claim on you without...biting. Unconciously...my demon was trying to claim you while I slept...sorta surprised I didn't bite you..."

"Demon's smart...probably afraid I was going to kick your ass," Buffy teased, then looked up at him curiously, "Your demon wants to claim me?"

"It's...not as sordid as it sounds," He replied quietly, "It's...a way of solidifying a bond between two vampires...and sometimes a vampire and a mortal...that doesn't happen often. Basically, a claim is a way of saying...for example...I belong to you, and you belong to me..." His eyelashes swept up and down almost shyly as he glanced away from her.

She touched his face, and drew his gaze back to her, and she smiled slightly, "Tell me."

He shifted almost uncomfortably, "It's...like saying I would die for you and you would die for me. It's a vampire's version of...marriage, I suppose. It can be dissolved the same as a marriage...by death or one of the parties leaving. But...most vampires who do claim a mate...they do it for life..."

"Was Drusilla your mate?"

"Was...it was dissolved after Angelus came back," Spike shook his head slightly, "We couldn't renew it, since once you are 'divorced', you can't renew it again..."

"And your demon...it wants to claim me?"

Spike nodded carefully, his face carefully guarded, and Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, "What about the rest of you?"

"Uh..." He hesistated, "There's...blood-letting involved, pet...after so long here...after not having human blood for so long..." He looked up at her, "I want to take you as my mate, Slayer...my wife...but I can't...I'm not sure that...I can hold it. I'm not sure that I can taste you and stop...I'm not willing to risk it...and it's even more dangerous with the baby..."

She drew him down for a gentle, sweet kiss, then whispered against his lips, "I trust you...and I want to belong to you...and you to me..."

Spike tore himself from her grasp, and stood up, shaking his head, "You don't know what you're asking for, Buffy!" He said, sounding desperate, "I want this as much as you do...maybe more...but I just...can't, don't you understand what could happen?"

She looked at him levelly before nodding firmly, "I know what I'm asking, Spike...and I love you...and I know you love me. I want this...you can hunt tonight, overtime...just feed till you can't eat anymore...wouldn't that help?"

"Maybe..." Spike said carefully, "But...luv...there's not just the human blood aspect...you're a Slayer...and your blood...it's more potent...powerful..."

She stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his bare chest, sighing slightly, then looked up at him, her face all seriousness as she cupped his face between her two, small hands.

"You know I love you, right?" She told him, " _All_ of you. Do you think that I don't know what you are? That I don' t realize you're a demon...a vampire?"

He looked at her in surprise, wondering if he was that transparent...that she was able to figure him out that easily.

She simply smiled, "I'm a Slayer, Spike...I can't forget what both of us are...I can't forget you're a vampire...but I love you...the demon and the man...just as the demon and the man loves me," She told him softly, "And I want us...to be together...please...do this...for me?"

Spike ran a hand through his hair, then nodded slowly. He would feed that night till he was completely sated...and then he would pray that he wouldn't hurt the woman he loved and the unborn child nestled in her womb. He kissed Buffy's forehead tenderly, and allowed her to draw him back to bed, the man and demon within him fairly singing in anticipation of the gift she would give him that night.

 

Sunset seemed to take an eternity to arrive, and Spike felt terribly impatient as he waited for the sun to sink beyond the horizon, watching the sky as it lit up in fiery, red tendrils of clouds.

Buffy stood behind him, arms wrapped around his waist, caressing him soothingly, feeling his nervousness flow through his body. She whispered in his ear, and he smiled slightly, tilting his head towards her to kiss her chastely, then flew off the porch as soon as the last bit of fire disappeared from the sky, and Buffy watched him dart across the sand into the jungle with a smile.

She picked up a crudely fashioned bucket and headed towards the pool beyond the hut, careful not to stumble over the thick undergrowth. She glanced towards the cave, where Spike had lain all night in the wind and rain of a hurricane, comforting her, and she bit her bottom lip. She knew at that moment was when she truly fell in love with him, and that he loved her.

She filled her bucket with the cool, spring-fed water, then slipped out of the remnants of clothing she wore, sighing as the water caressed her cool skin. Spike preferred to swim in the ocean, but she was always anxious about things beneath the water she couldn't see. Then again, she had seen the things that had escaped into the ocean from Sunnydale, the fish-boys that had once been teenagers. Who knew where they were now.

After a while, she climbed out of water, and started to pull on her clothes when she heard a low, feral growl.

She frowned, glancing around in the darkness, "Spike...is that you?" She called, "Stop fooling around."

Another growl answered her, and she glimpsed a shadow out of the corner of her eye, and she froze as a sleek, beautiful leopard slinked out of the trees, it's body low to the ground as moon-light glinted off it's fur.

Buffy remained completely still, hoping that it would move on without bothering her. It probably just came to get something to drink.

The large cat slunk towards her, muscles rolling beneath a silkly smooth pelt, and she was transfixed by the beautiful creature, it's amber-eyes, ringed with reddish-brown bore into hers, rooting her to the spot as it came closer and closer, and then sank lower to the ground, it's entire body tensing.

She realized too late it was going to spring, and she screamed as it launched itself at her.

A roar shattered the night as Spike fairly flew through the air, slamming into the leopard, and Buffy watched as pale flesh met with golden-black, and the pair of hunters hit the ground, rolling.

Spike snarled, vamping out as sharp claws sank into his forearms, and the leopard's head darted forward, trying to clamp onto the vampire's throat, but Spike tossed the leopard off, then rolled smoothly to his feet, remaining in a crouch in front of Buffy, golden eyes narrowed as he growled in a low, threatening tone, warning the beast off away from his mate.

The cat sprang again, unheeding of his warning, and Spike lunged forward, meeting the beat half-way, and Buffy couldn't distuinguish between Spike's roars and snarls from the leopard's, and she winced as the leopard sank his fangs into Spike's shoulder.

Spike's eyes flared as he twisted his body, flesh ripping, and a large strip of skin hung out of the leopard's mouth, it's muzzle stained with the vampire's blood. The cat swiped at Spike's, it's claws tearing down Spike's face, opening up his cheek to the bone, and Spike snarled, head darting forward, and his fangs sank into the leopard's jugular.

The beast let out a roar of pain and rage, and then it jerked once, then twice in Spike's grasp as the vampire jerked his head back, effectively ripping it's throat out.

He fed then, hungrily gulping down the blood the animal offered, and Buffy watched him, his body torn and ravaged, his entire body radiating beastility and barely contained savagery.

He dropped the animal, then slowly straightened, his back to Buffy, and then he turned, yellow eyes searching her out in the darkness. He saw her sitting near the edge of the pool, her entire body trembling slightly, and he flowed rather then walked towards her, his body moving with prenatural grace.

He knelt beside her, nuzzling her throat, smearing her hair and neck with blood, his and the leopard's, and Buffy trembled as his tongue roughly lapped it back up, and he growled possessively as he leaned further into her.

The coppery, sickly-sweet smell of blood filled her nostrils as Spike's ridges rubbed against her skin, and his hands were pulling at the clothes that covered her, tearing them, uncaring about the destruction of precious cloth they had no way to replace.

The blood from his wounds dripped down on her and she closed her eyes as his tongue moved along her body, lapping up the precious fluid, his tongue strangely warm from the blood he had just consumed.

He suddenly sat up with a low growl, eyes peering into the darkness around them, and then after a few moments, he visibly relaxed, whatever threat he had detected having moved on.

He looked back down at her, eyes glowing in the darkness, and she reached up, rubbing her fingers over his facial ridges, smiling as he started to purr, and then he moved over her, dropping his head to her breast. He suckled at her nipple gently, careful not to cut her with his fangs, and she arched her body towards him with a small moan, then gasped a bit when he suddenly raked his fangs along her breast, drawing blood. He lapped it up, eyes flashing once more with a silky growl that made Buffy shiver, and then she felt him gently pulling her legs apart as he fastened his mouth around the cut he had made, sucking gently.

Their bodies slid together easily as he thrust into her wet heat, their skin slick with his blood, and the wounds on his back, arms and face began to hear as he slowly drank from her, growling all the while.

Her hands wound into his hair, holding his head to her breast, throwing her head back with a sharp cry as he slammed into her roughly and she lifted her hips up against his while pulling his body tight to hers.

He lifted his mouth from her breast, then nuzzled her throat as he drove into her roughly, nearly snarling as her nails raked down his back, and he sank his fangs into her cartoid artery, where he had been licking her in his sleep.

She immediately screamed his name, cumming violently and thrashing beneath him, and he immediately withdrew his fangs, and guided her face to the juncture of his shoulder and throat. He growled loudly as her blunt teeth tore at his flesh, and her mouth fastened over the wound, drawing in a mouthful of his blood, and he came hard, slamming into her a few times before slumping over top of her.

He was purring as he licked the mark he had left on her throat, his chest vibrating against hers as he purred in contentment, and Buffy laid back on the ground as he slid off her body, panting for breath, her face smeared with blood.

She smiled as he snuggled against her side, his face buried in the base of her neck, arms coming to wrap themselves around her, and she stroked his face as he fell asleep beside her, and she kissed his ridged brow tenderly. _My vampire...my love..._

 

One Year Eight Months

Cravings

 

"Spike...?"

"Hmmm..." The vampire lifted his head sleepily, yawning widely as he looked down at his mate, "What is it, pet?"

"I'm hungry...do we have any mangos left?" Buffy squirmed next to him, hands resting on her slightly swollen abdomen. "I want some mangos."

"Uh...no, pet...you ate the last of them last night..." He told her, trying to lay back next to her, but she pouted at him.

"Could you get me some?"

Spike glanced at the doorway, where the sun was blazing merrily, then looked back down at Buffy, "You're kidding, right?"

"Please?" She pleaded, her eyes going liquid.

"No...don't you dare...it's light out, pet! Me, sunlight...no mixy, remember? Pain, ow, flames, oh look, Spike's a pile of dust?"

In the mother of all mood swings, her eyes flashed angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest, "If I don't get mangos now, I swear to GOD you will never see me naked AGAIN!"

Spike sighed as he slid out of bed, then grabbed his duster and clothes that would somewhat cover him. "Remind me that I love you?"

"You love me more then unlife itself," Buffy said in all sweetness, and Spike gave her a look.

"How long are you pregnant for?"

"Nine months," She answered, snuggling back comfortably in bed, "Why?"

"Oh Lord," He said by way of answer, and Buffy watched as he darted out the door, duster over his head. Less then fifteen minutes later, he was back, holding mangos in one arm, the other holding the duster in place, but nevertheless, he was still a bit charred around the edges as he dropped the mangos on the bed. "There you go, luv," He dropped the duster, and then watched as Buffy picked up one up, sniff it, then toss it aside, and glanced up at him.

"Um...do we have any monkey left?"

He stared at her like she had sprouted a second head, then turned and headed back out, grumbling beneath his breath about certain pregnant Slayers that would be the death of him.

 

One Year, Nine Months

Movement

 

"Spike...wake up..."

Spike groaned as Buffy nudged him awake for the tenth time that day, and lifted his head with a glare, "You ate enough to feed all the armies of hell...you CAN'T be hungry again!"

She rolled her eyes at him, then took his hand and placed it over her swollen stomach, smiling as she watched his eyes widen, and he sat up to peer at her bare stomach in interest, placing both hands, palm down, on her belly.

"Bloody hell...it's moving..." His eyes widened even more when he felt a kick against his hand, "Cor..." He looked up at her, "Are you feeling this?"

"It's inside me, kicking up a storm," Buffy rolled her eyes, "Of course I feel it."

"Cor..." He breathed, ignoring her light sarcasm, feeling along her stomach, a wide grin coming to his face. That was _his_ child he was feeling move inside his mate, and he looked up at her, his face crossed with wonder and awe. "That's our kid, Buffy..."

She smiled at him softly, and he moved up her body, keeping on hand on her distended belly as he kissed her slowly and tenderly, listening to the sound of their child's rapid heartbeat and Buffy's slower, relaxed one, and he broke the kiss to peer down at her lovingly.

Her skin was fairly glowing in the late afternoon sunlight, her breasts heavier and fuller due to her pregnancy, and the lines in her face seemed softened, her hair framing her face in golden, shimmering waves.

He lay beside her, resting his head lightly on her stomach and closing his eyes as he listened to the life beating inside her womb.

However, a small, tendril of worry crept into his conciousness as he thought of raising a child in the total isolation that was their life.

What if something went wrong during labour? What if their child got injured or ill? Even something as simple as a cold or a cut could be fatal on the island. Infections could kill their child as surely and swiftly as any disease. For the first time in nearly a year...he wished desperately for a boat to come for them.

 

One Year, Ten Months

Welcome to Paradise

 

Buffy waddled awkwardly along the beach, grimacing slightly. She was only eight months along by her calculations, and she felt like a walking, talking whale, and scowled. It was all Spike's fault. He had fattened her up.

She dipped her toes into the surf, smiling slightly as a crab scrambled past her feet, trying to escape a wave, but he was swept up and pulled back into the water, and she watched as the wave receeded and the crab tried to make it back to shore before the next wave could claim it.

She turned her face up towards the ocean, staring out across the crystal blue expanse, and resting her hands on her swollen stomach. She dug her toes into the sand, glancing towards the hut, where Spike was dozing on the porch, where he had been keeping a watchful eye on her.

She suddenly tensed, hands clutching over her stomach as she exhaled sharply, falling backwards onto the sand on her butt.

A sharp pain stabbed her in her womb, and tears sprung to her eyes from the pain as she felt her uterus clench and unclench, and she screamed Spike's name as a thick, water-like substance pooled onto the sand from between her legs.

The vampire dozing on the porch jerked awake at her screams, and he saw Buffy doubled over on the beach, curling around her ample stomach and nearly lunged out, despite the sun beating down from the sky.

He paused just in time, then grabbed his duster and jerked it over his head before flying out towards her. "Buffy! What is it?!"

"Oh God..." She gasped as another pain ripped through her, "It's coming..."

The vampire's eyes widened as he scooped her up, ignoring the flare of agonizing pain as the light hit exposed skin, and he ducked his head, running back towards the hut. He was smoking as he despoited her on the pallet, and Buffy screamed as another contraction ripped through her body.

"Spike...make it stop!" She wailed, trying to curl inward on herself once more, but Spike held her by the shoulders.

"Luv...you have to relax...lay straight," He told her, gently getting her to lay on her back, "It's all right...just a bit earlier then we thought..."

Buffy calmed a bit as he stroked her hair, talking to her in low soothing tones, and Spike mentally timed the intervals between her contractions, wincing a bit. Only a few minutes apart. The kid was eager to get out, apparently.

He left her side briefly to build a fire and set some water by it to warm, careful that the smoke wouldn't waft back into the hut from the porch, and he returned to her, carrying several clean rags that had once been clothes, and he sat beside her, taking her hand.

Buffy panted heavily as she looked up at Spike, her face pale and drawn, and Spike gently bathed her sweaty forehead with water, and he smiled down at her reassuringly, "It's all right, Buffy..." He soothed, "Everything's going to be just fine..."

"He's early," She said worriedly, "What if he's too early?"

"He's not...well...we don't know for sure," Spike told her, trying to ease her fears, "We could have been off about the date we concieved, pet...it's fine, everything's fine."

She could detect the hint of worry beneath his reassuring tone, and tensed a bit as she felt another contraction coming, then screamed when it hit, her hand clamping down on Spike's.

Spike's eyes went wide, and then he was screaming along with her as his hand broke under the pressure she was applying to it with her Slayer strength, and he ripped it away. "SON OF A BITCH!"

Buffy relaxed back against the pallet as it passed, and Spike cradled his hand to his chest, staring down at Buffy in surprise, and then subtly slid a bit away from her before she got her hands on something really important.

"Slayer, relax...and keep your hands to yourself," he told her gently, wincing as he popped his fingers back into place, then nudged her legs open and slid her ragged, drawstring shorts down her legs, trying to remember everything he had learned watching his mother at work. However, the urge to race down the sand, screaming his head off was distracting him a bit.

_Right...got the warm water...clean rags...shit...shit...forgetting something...what am I forgetting?_

He was jerked from his thoughts by Buffy screaming again, her back arching off the bed, fingers digging into the wood beneath, driving splinters beneath her nails. "OH GOD! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!"

 _Right...sedatives...shit..._ there was nothing on the island that could be used to dull her pain, and he looked at her sympathetically. There was nothing he could do but try to relax her and let nature take it's course. The baby would only come when it was ready, and the more she fought it, the more painful the labour would be.

"Buffy...Slayer..." He reached up and brushed her damp bangs away from her forehead, forcing her to look at him, "You have to breathe, luv...don't hyperventilate...it doesn't help," He told her as he started to massage her stomach, trying to ease some of the pressure on her, and she relaxed under his touch, and he smiled at her. "That's right, ducks...you can do this. You're a Slayer...you can take a little labor pain, right?"

"It hurts so much," Buffy whispered, "What if there's something wrong...?"

"Child-birth hurts, pet...but just you, not the baby. Everything's fine down here...promise," He reassured her, "You have to relax or it'll be worse for you. You can't fight it. Just...follow your instincts, all right, pet? You can do that..."

Buffy bit her bottom lip, nodding at him as she laid back and closed her eyes, concentrating on the feel of his hands rubbing in circles on her stomach instead of the pain, and her next contraction was just as forceful as the others, but she managed to force the pain to the back of her mind.

Spike continued to talk to her in soft, soothing voice till he saw that she had fallen into a semi-trance, and he smiled a bit. Hanging out with Drusilla for so long, a bloke was bound to pick up a few tricks.

He felt her body shudder every once in a while as another wave of pain hit her, but she only let her head slump a little to the side, and Spike kissed her throat as he kept rubbing her stomach, gently urging the child along with his hands, hoping desperately that her labor wouldn't last too long.

 

Around sundown, Buffy's contractions finally started to come faster, and Spike knelt between her legs, pulling her slowly to the edge of the pallet so that her legs bent at the knee, and he glanced up into her slightly dazed face, sweat beading her brow, and he continued to talk to her.

Soon, the baby was crowning, and Spike snapped his fingers in front of Buffy's face, calling her name loudly, and she blinked, then gasped in pain as she was torn from her trance. "Oh...GOD!"

"Come on, Slayer...time to push now, eh?" He said, kneeling between her legs once more, "Come on, Buffy...you can do it...just give a gentle push..."

She felt his hands on brush along the inside of her thighs, and she grunted as she pushed, her back arching a bit, and Spike continued to encourage her. "Harder then that, Buffy...put some of your strength behind it!" He instructed, sounding almost desperate, "You're almost there, Buffy...come on, luv..."

Buffy gave a final scream, and then Spike gave a shout as he helped the child the rest of the way. "Got him!" He started to clean away bits of ambiotic sac from the child, then reached for a knife made of stone, cleanly cleaving the umblicical in two. Then froze. He wasn't breathing.

"Shit..."

Buffy sat up weakly at his soft curse, her eyes wide, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, pet," Spike told her, opening the baby's mouth and using a finger to gently probe the baby's throat, chewing on his bottom lip, then gave a sigh of relief as a rush of fluid filled the baby's mouth, and then shrill crying filled the hut.

Buffy sank down in relief, her eyes on Spike as he wrapped the child up in the clean rags, cleaning away the last of the fluid, and the vampire sent her a lopsided grin, delighted. "Told you it was a boy!" He fairly crowed, then knelt down beside Buffy as tears filled the Slayer's eyes.

Her eyes drank in the sight of her son's small, tiny red face, all scrunched up as he sobbed, his little fists clenched as he shook them, obviously displeased about being forced from the warmth and comfort of her womb.

"He's beautiful," Buffy breathed as Spike laid him beside her, and the vampire smile was watery as he stroked his baby-soft hair, the color and softness of corn-silk.

"Think he still wants to be called Jennifer?" Spike asked curiously, and Buffy giggled softly as she held the baby to her breast, and a look of pure joy crossed her face as he began to suckle, pressing his face closer to her as he drank.

Spike kissed Buffy's forehead lovingly, then laid his head against hers as he stroked the baby's sleek, soft head, and Buffy smiled down at the child. "Hello, Will..." She murmured tiredly, spent from the birthing ordeal, but was happier then she had ever been as she clutched her child, their child to her breast. "Welcome to our paradise."

Spike smiled as the baby sleepily snuggled closer to Buffy's warmth, and climbed into bed with them, the baby between the Slayer and her vampire mate, and he kissed her lips gently, then rested his forehead against hers as they gazes were enraptured by the sight of the tiny child that they had created together.


	4. Chapter 4

One Year, 11 Months

Bedtime

 

"Hey, you!" Spike bounced into the hut happily, beaming brightly as he watched Buffy sitting in the chair he had lovingly carved for her birthday, holding his month-old little bundle of joy. He chucked Will beneath the chin as he dropped a load of wood on the ground, then kissed Buffy. "How's my little guy?"

"He's still a little peevish," Buffy answered as she switched breasts, ignoring the heated look her mate sent her, "But you're going to sleep alllll night tonight, aren't you?" She cooed to the child, smiling as he finished and Spike took him from her arms, patting his back gently till he burped.

She rolled her eyes as Spike swung the baby in the air, making faces at the child, "You're going to get him riled up, Spike! I was about to put him down for bed."

"You don't want to go to bed, do you?" Spike asked Will, "You want to stay up and hang out with your da, don't you?"

Buffy shook her head, but gave up with a put-out sigh as Spike continued to swing the baby up and down, "If he pukes, you're washing him," She threatened, and smirked when Spike cradled Will to his chest, and the vampire suddenly made a face.

"Someone needs a change," He announced, and Buffy tossed Spike a 'diaper' they had made from scraps of clothing, and smiled as she watched the vampire lay the baby down on the pallet, making cooing noises at Will as he removed the soiled diaper and dropped it in the bucket to be washed, and blew a raspberry on Will's stomach, making the baby let out a coo like laugh and kicked his tiny feet.

Spike deftly tied the new diaper around the baby, then caught a tiny little foot, and lightly ran his fingertips along the baby's ticklish heel, grinning down at him.

"Spike," Buffy gestured at her face when Spike glanced at her, and he grinned a bit sheepishly as he nodded, almost forgetting. He vamped out, then went back to playing with Will. He and Buffy had agreed before that exposure to Spike's 'game-face' would make it far less tramautic and strange to the child, and he grinned through his fangs as Will let out one of his unique giggles.

"Who's the cutest baby on the island?" Spike asked, swinging Will back up into his arms.

"Spike...he's the only baby on the island," Buffy reminded him, and Spike glanced down at Will.

"Don't listen to her...she's just jealous 'cause you're my favorite."

Buffy shook her head, but smiled as Will yawned widely, exposing his pink, little gums, and Spike kissed the top of Will's head as he knelt in the small, trundle bed beside he and Buffy's bed, and he unfolded the leather duster lining it. "Remember...don't wet on this thing," Spike reminded the baby before kissing each and every one of Will's tiny toes and fingers, and then kissed his forehead as he wrapped the soft leather around the baby to keep him warm during the somewhat cool night.

Buffy was smiling as she watched Spike tenderly attend to their child, his manner gentle and loving, and his game-face faded back without his knowledge as he tucked Will in, and he glanced up, smiling slowly when he caught Buffy's gaze.

She stood up, swaying a tiny bit. She was still getting used to the not having a huge belly in front of her, and Spike stood, pulling her into his arms, kissing her slowly and tenderly, then brushed his lips along Buffy's throat. "Think we can do this without waking the baby?" Buffy asked, and Spike sighed against her skin, then glanced down at Will.

"What are the chances that Mary Poppins will float in and baby-sit for a couple hours?"

"If Mary Poppins floats in, I'm beating the crap out of her for that umbrella," Buffy replied with a wicked smile, and Spike shook his head fondly.

"Shh, luv...not in front of the baby," He teased her, drawing her towards bed, and Buffy grinned as he pulled her down to him, kissing her a bit more forcefully, and the couple were trying to be as quiet as humanly possible as they made out.

Will suddenly woke and started crying, and Spike broke the kiss with a groan as he flopped back on their bed, throwing an arm over his face, "Christ...he's like living birth control. He stops us before we even get started!"

Buffy snorted as she stood up and lifted Will out of his bed, kissing the baby's forehead, "He just wants to stay with mommy and daddy, don't you, baby?"

Spike tried to look frustrated, but he couldn't help grinning as Buffy laid beside him and settled Will between them, still wrapped in his duster, and the vampire sighed happily as the baby's hand closed around his finger.

"I am such a poncy poof," He muttered, heart melting as Will gazed up at him with his father's dark blue eyes, and he kissed the slightly tilted up nose that was purely Buffy. "Someone's gonna be a heart-breaker when he's older."

Buffy frowned slightly as she tickled Will's belly, then looked up at Spike worriedly, "Not if we're still stuck here."

Spike didn't answer her as he concentrated his attention on Will, prefering not to think about it at the moment, hoping Buffy wouldn't press the matter. They didn't have much of a choice, and why worry about something that was in the yet unseen future?

The former Slayer sighed as she settled next to her child, lovingly stroking his soft head that had yet to harden as his skull grew, playing with the tiny tufts of silky hair, the silence stretching out between the trio, only broken by the sound of Spike's purring to lull Will to sleep.

 

Two Years

Noon Nap

 

Spike shielded his eyes against the bright sun as he watched Buffy and Will playing in the sand near the water, getting wonderfully mucked up as Will happily slapped at the mud-piles Buffy was making around him.

He felt a twinge of jealously of his mate, simply for her ability to be out there in the bright day. He'd give anything to be able to play beside them in the sun, to laugh with them as Will watched in confusion as the sand piles disappeared as the waves licked at them, and then in true baby fashion, prombtly forgot they ever existed as he turned his attention to the little bits of wet sand Buffy was trailing along his legs, getting him all dirty, looking delighted.

He grinned, shaking his head slightly as he watched Will grab at Buffy's long, golden hair as she leaned over him to pick him up, and she carried him into the shallow water, sitting down and letting the waves wash him off, and with his keen eyesight, he could see Will's eyes widen slightly as he was smacked with a wave, and Buffy cradled him to his chest as he sputtered and started to cry.

She came back towards the hut, trying to sooth the baby's crying, and she sat down beside Spike, allowing him to take Will from her and she smiled as he began to purr, a sure way to calm the baby as Spike held him against his chest, letting the child feel the vibrations rumbling through it.

Soon, Will was all smiles again, and Spike chuckled, kissing his forehead, "Have fun gettin' all dirty, huh?" He asked fondly, then began to lift Will up and down in the air, a wide grin on his face as Will giggled. Somehow, that sound seemed to make him feel as if his heart was full to bursting.

"I don't think he's too fond of the water," Buffy told Spike, brushing off her damp feet, trying to get rid of the ever-clinging sand.

"Goin' have to get used to it. He needs to learn to swim," Spike replied, handing Will back to Buffy as she removed her top to feed him. "We're surrounded by water, and I'd prefer if he knew how."

"Me too," Buffy replied, settling Will on her lap as his mouth fastened around a nipple, and she glanced out towards the water. "I'll teach him in the pool. I don't want him swimming in the ocean till he gets stronger. Too easy to get caught in an undertow."

Spike nodded his agreement as he watched Buffy nurse Will, then leaned forward, brushing her hair away from her throat, and nuzzling it amorously. Buffy tilted her head to the side as he started to kissing along her neck and down to her shoulder, then burped Will, who was getting sleepy.

Buffy carried Will into the hut and set him into his bed, settling him in for his nap, making sure he was firmly wrapped up in Spike's duster to keep him from escaping, then returned to the porch, pressing a finger against her lips. "He's asleep," She whispered quietly, allowing her mate to draw her down to his lap.

He lightly traced her collarbone with his cool lips, and Buffy closed her eyes as he slid an arm around her waist to pull her closer. He kissed her hungrily as he trailed his fingertips along her abdomen, hand slipping inside the band of her shorts.

"Hmmm..." Buffy broke away from his lips, "Quick...before he wakes up again," She murmured urgently, and Spike chuckled as they stood, quickly undressing, glad for the seclusion the island offered.

As soon as they were divested of their ragged clothing, Spike tugged Buffy down to the floor of the porch, kissing her passionatly as he laid her on her back. She winced as the grit lining the ground scraped at her back, then rolled them so that he had his back to the ground, and swiftly straddled his hips.

Spike groaned as she sank down on him, her heat engulfing him, and bit his lip, glancing towards the doorway, but he could hear Will's soft breathing and slow heartbeat, signeling he was still asleep.

He turned his attention back to Buffy as she slowly began to move on him, resting her hands on his hard chest for support.

Spike sat up, bringing his knees up and Buffy bit back a moan as she leaned back against them, changing the angle of penetration, and the vampire ran his lips around her throat as his hips met hers in a slow, intimate rhythm, both of them trying to not make a sound, but she still gasped as his cool lips fastened around one her nipples, and she held his head to her breast as he sucked at her.

The sweet, melon-like taste of her breast-milk filled his mouth, and the vampire gripped her hips, fingers digging into her soft, pliant flesh, briefly thinking that he knew why Will was hungry all the time if that was the nectar the Slayer offered their son.

Buffy began to move against him urgently, his cold, hard length filling her, and she said his name in low, small pants, wanting to feel more of him, and Spike stood up with her suddenly, and she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as he slammed her up against the side of the hut, driving into her roughly, still suckling from her breast.

Her hands gripped his shoulders, nails breaking the skin, and Spike growled against her skin, and she felt hot-white lightening shot to her groin at the sound, and she nearly screamed as she came as he continued to slam into her, forcing her higher up the wall.

Spike reached between their still writhing bodies as she clamped down on him hard, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he lightly caressed her clit lightly before pressing down on it hard, and Buffy's eyes slammed shut as she arched her body towards him as another orgasm rolled over her.

He snarled, burying the sound in the valley between her breasts as his cold seed filled her womb, the sensation of her inner muscles caressing his cock teasing him with more promises of pleasure.

He withdrew from her relunctantly, but still remained in place, holding her against the wall as her body trembled against his, both of them trying to calm their breathing, although his hard pants were unnecessary, but habitual.

The smell of Buffy's sweat-soaked skin threatened to set him off again, and he relunctantly lowered her to the ground, and Buffy leaned against the wall, eyes shining and face glowing from the exertation of their love-making.

He kissed her lightly and lovingly, hands running lightly up and down her sides, and she smiled against his lips, glad that they hadn't woken the baby with all the noise they had to have been making.

"How long do you think he'll be out for?" Spike asked as he began to kiss down her body, and Buffy gasped, arching towards him with a stifled moan.

"Didn't sleep much last night...and he was playing all day...I say we have at least another hour," Buffy managed to gasp out in a stage whisper, and Spike grinned up at her wickedly before dipping his tongue into her belly-button, teasing her. "Oh God..."

"I say we take full advantage of that fact," He told her quietly, eyes glinting mischievously before his head dipped between her legs, and Buffy rolled her eyes up towards the sky.

"Oh God..."

 

Two Years, Two Months

Parenthood

 

"What did he put in his mouth?"

"Uh...I'm not entirely sure...but it might have been a bug..."

Will was peering up at his parents with his wide, dark blue eyes as he lay on his stomach on the floor, cocking his head almost curiously as he listened to their adult chatter. They were strange people, his mom and dad.

"What kind of bug?! Oh my God...do we need a doctor?"

"Babies eat bugs, Slayer...it's a fact of life..."

Actually, it was a button that had fallen off his diaper that had once been a shirt, and would do no harm, but they didn't know that. And it was kind of fun to watch his mother hyperventilate while his father looked slightly panicked himself.

"Well! Make him spit it out or something!"

The unpleasant sensation of cool fingers prying his mouth open made his eyes start to water, and he started to cry fitfully.

"Oh my God...the bug bit him!"

"He swallowed it, whatever it was..." Strong, firm but gentle hands lifted him into the air and he was cradled against a bare, hard chest, and Will sniffled, his nose running, and the bit of snot was wiped away gently with a slightly damp rag. His crying stilled as rumbling purrs issued from the cavern of his father's chest, and cool lips caressed the top of his head.

Much more pleasant when fingers were caressing and not trying to steal his buttons.

Much softer, warmer hands were taking him now, and he nuzzled his face against his mother's bosom, finding a nipple that carried nourishing food, and his little fists grabbed at soft skin, as if trying to pull her closer.

"Look...see? He's fine," His dad said in some evident relief, "Gettin' worried over nothing, Buffy."

Will tuned out their chatter as he started to drift off to sleep, warm and cold hands constantly touching him, and he snuggled against his mother's warm breast. He was surrounded by warmth and love, and he sighed softly as he slept, knowing somewhere in the back of the recesses of his small, still undeveloped mind that he was in a safe place, watched over by people that cared for him deeply.

 

Two Years, Seven Months

Feeding

 

"Come on, Will...come to daddy..." Spike grinned as Will crawled towards him, little butt wriggling as the baby smiled happily at his father, and Spike laughed as he caught his son beneath the arms and swung him up into the air, "That's daddy's big boy!"

Buffy shook her head slightly as Spike sat Will across the hut, then raced to the other end, once more calling Will towards him, the vampire delighted beyond belief by his son's new-found mobility.

She remembered once what her mother had told her about a baby learning to crawl. Once they found they could move, they'd spend the rest of their life trying to get away from you.

She smiled sadly, wishing her mother could be there to see her grand-child, and her pseduo-son-in-law as he played with Will.

She had to admit, that at first, she was worried that the semi-hyper vampire would get bored of the child after a couple of months, but every day, as Will discovered something new about the world, Spike seemed to discover it right along with him, sharing as much as possible with the child.

She smiled as she mashed up a bit of mango in a coconut husk, mixing it with coconut milk, and Spike glanced up as she stood and then sat beside him as Will finally reached him.

Buffy took the child onto her lap, and he reached up for the coconut husk eagerly and Buffy giggled, shaking her head as he managed to get his hands in and mashed the conconction to his face. "Will! I just gave you a bath," She said in mock-exasperation, "You're worse then your dad when he eats!"

Spike gave Buffy a look, "I'm not that bad," He said as Will continued to make a huge mess of himself, managing to get clumps of mango in his hair. "And who's the one who lets him get all dirty in the mud all the time so he thinks it's okay?"

"Please...like you weren't right there along side him, making mudpies. At least _I_ didn't start throwing them at people."

Spike chuckled, rolling his eyes at his mate as he leaned down towards Will, "Listen to her wild accusations, why don't you? Like she wasn't slinging mud just as good as she got?"

Will smiled up at him radiantly before smearing the orangish-white 'baby food' down the middle of Spike's face, and the vampire's eyes widened comically as Buffy burst out laughing.

"Why...you little prat..." Spike tickled Will's sensitive, dimpled knees, and Will started to giggle, "What are you doing taking her side for? We men are supposed to stick together!"

Will only kicked his feet, his eyes shining up at his parents, and Spike glanced at Buffy, who was smiling at him faintly, her eyes reflecting love and adoration back at him, and he leaned towards her, brushing his lips across hers, while at the same time he grabbed the coconut bowl and dumped the contents down the back of her shirt.

Buffy's eyes went wide, and Spike grabbed up Will as he shot to his feet, grinning at Buffy widely as she glared at him dangerously, "You wouldn't hurt a bloke with a baby, would you, Slayer?" He asked, batting his eyelashes at her innocently.

"Stop hiding behind the baby, you big...baby," Buffy shot back, trying to get around the cute shield he used, "What a man...hiding behind his poor, innocent little son."

Spike chuckled, then set Will down as he started to fitfully squirm, and the baby crawled towards his mother, who picked him up, kissing his head, "Did the big, bad vampire scare you, honey?" She asked Will teasingly, smiling as he smiled. Damn, but he was cute.

Spike shook his head slightly as he swiped at his face, and Buffy glanced at him, then down at Will and herself, starting to giggle. They made quite a trio, all of them covered in a layer of crushed mango and coconut milk, aware that they'd probably look like a family of lunatics to an outsider's eyes.

Buffy looked back up towards Spike as he crossed over towards her, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a loose embrace with Will between them, lightly dropping a kiss on her forehead, and then on Will's head. Buffy smiled at him, then went to put Will down for his nap.

 

Two Years, Nine Months

Swimming Lessons

 

"One...two...and three...whhheeee..."

Will squealed as he was lifted off his feet and swung in the air by Spike and Buffy, then sat back down on the damp sand, he toddled along on his own two feet, with their support, of course.

Small waves lapped at his feet, and he watched as a crab scrambled by his toes, and he pulled on Spike's hand, "Da...loo! Da...loo!"

Spike and Buffy followed their son's gaze, and Spike chuckled as he bent and picked the crab up, and held it up for Will to see as it traveled along his palm, and Spike turned his hand along with the crab's progress, effectively trapping it, and Will grinned widely up at Buffy in delight, then pulled his hand loose from her's to try and grab at the crab.

Spike lifted it up a bit to keep him from getting pinched, "Can you say crab, Will?" The vampire asked, slipping into game-face effortlessly, and without making a to-do about it, and Will lost all interest in the crab as he looked up at his father, then glanced up at Buffy curiously.

Buffy raised an eyebrow as she knelt down beside Spike, and Will stumbled towards them, still unsteady on his feet, but he was learning rapidly. He was definitatly a fast-learner, having said his first word only a month before, and Buffy smiled slightly, remembering how Spike had went absolutely ballastic when he said Da, making the poor kid repeat it over and over again.

Will played with the ridges along Spike's face, feeling along them, and his other, chubby little hand reached towards Buffy, and Buffy glanced at Spike, eyebrows shooting up. He was wondering why she wasn't going all fangy like his father.

Buffy couldn't figure out a way to explain to him in a way he'd understand, so she kissed his hand, and straightened with a smile. "Who wants to go swimming?" She asked cheerfully, and Spike chuckled at her attempt at avoidance, glancing towards her as his human mask slipped back into place.

"Nice, luv. You do realize that he probably doesn't understand half the words that come out of our mouths, right?"

"Haha, Funnyman," Buffy rolled her eyes as she took one of Will's hands and led him into the water, and the vampire chuckled as he followed them into the cool ocean water, watching as Buffy lifted Will up with a wave, and his son squealed delightedly, then glanced around for his dad.

Spike joined them, taking Will's hand, and they stayed close to shore as Will's legs kicked in the water, keeping him buoyant with Buffy and Spike's help, and Buffy turned him towards her, miming holding her breath before dipping below the water with him.

Spike followed suit, smiling as he watched Will's furiously churning legs before they rose to the surface again, then dipped below again once Will caught his breath.

Spike smiled as Buffy held Will loosely, nuzzling her cheek against his, the moonlight casting a silvery glow to their golden-tanned skin. They appeared almost like a beautific Island Paradise version of Madonna and Child, and he felt his heart catch in his throat.

Buffy looked towards him, frowning slightly at the strange, dreamy look on her mate's face, lifting an eyebrow, "Something wrong?"

"Not a thing," Spike said sincerely, eyes softening, "Not a sodding thing."

 

Two Years, Ten Months

Language

 

"Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...happy birthday dear Will...happy birthday to yo--NO! Don't touch the candle!"

Spike yanked the mango-cum-cake from the one year old's grasping hands, shaking his head slightly as the one-year old squirmed on Buffy's lap, trying to get down and play with the pretty fire. "Kid's a born pyro," Spike teased.

"Body 'ell," Will intoned solemnly, and Spike had to hide his grin from Buffy's sight. She was still a bit peeved that Will had picked up that particular phrase from him, but Spike couldn't help but feel a little pride, since Will even managed to imitate his accent a tiny bit. His kid was a bloody genius.

However, when Will started saying the f-word after hearing Spike swearing when he had accidently speared himself in the foot when he had slipped on a rock while fishing, he had been forced to sleep out on the porch for a week. That wasn't one of his fondest memories since he had to keep on moving as the sun shifted and could barely catch a wink of sleep.

Buffy ruffled Will's hair, then shot Spike a look, and the vampire smiled sheepishly, "What?"

"You have to get him to stop saying that," Buffy told him, "You're teaching our son bad habits."

"Am not."

"Fock..." Will smiled up at his dad proudly, holding up his arms to be lifted up in the air, and Spike sighed.

"William, don't say that word," Spike tried to sound stern but he caved as Will only smiled wider.

"Up! Up!"

Buffy shook her head, before smirking at Spike, "And you used to be a master vampire."

"Hey, I'm still a master vampire!" Spike protested as he lifted Will up into the air, spinning him around, grinning as Will laughed happily, stopping when he felt dizzy, and staggered a bit as Will wrapped his legs around him. "It's just...come on, it's his birthday. I'll be the big bad tomorrow."

Buffy snorted, "Yeah, and I'm finally going to buy that bridge in Brooklyn I always wanted."

Spike chuckled, kissing Will's forehead as he sat him down again, "Present time!"

Buffy shook her head as Spike proudly presented Will with a sloppily wrapped gift, the gift paper of choice and necessity being leaves, and she leaned over as Spike helped him unwrap it, and smiled slightly as Will ignored the small, wooden boat Spike had carved for him in favor of playing with the leaves, apparently trying to hide as he put one on top of his head.

"Bloody hell..." The vampire muttered, then winced as Will pushed himself to his feet and started to run...well...more like waddle all around the hut with the leaf on his head, shouting, "Body 'ell, body 'ell, body 'ell," over and over again.

"Remember when he just used to say 'Da?'" Spike asked wryly as Buffy picked up the little boat, smiling as she looked over it. The vampire had obviously spent a lot of time on it, even going as far as to make little sails out of leaves and had even carved a little maidenhead for the bow of the boat.

"It's nice," Buffy said sincerely, glancing at Spike, who was watching Will, a look of amusement on his face, and she shook her head as she sat the toy aside till Will was a wee bit older and would appreciate it more.

"What did you get him?" Spike asked curiously, and Buffy grinned as she removed a sheath of leaves from behind her, and Will's eyes lit up when he saw them.

"Bloody hell..."

"Body 'ell! Body 'ell! Body 'ell!"

"Spike! Language!"

"Crap...sorry!"

"Cap! Cap! Cap!"

"Good God...the kid's a bleedin' parrot..."

"Beeding! Beeding!"

"You're _this close_ to the porch, mister."

 

Two Years, Eleven months

Premonitions

 

Dappled moonlight played across Spike's skin as he hunted in the dark jungle, feet silently treading surely among the thick undergrowth, and amber eyes glowed in the darkness that surrounded him.

However, a look of worry was on the vampire's face as he searched for his prey, but the jungle was silent, and nothing moved within it's depths.

He glanced upwards into the trees, seeing a few shapes huddled close to the thick, rough trunks, obviously seeking shelter, but not from the hunter below them.

With the premoniations animals seemed to possess, they sensed a storm brewing in the horizon, and Spike found that he could almost feel the electric charge in the air, almost smell it. The longer he spent on the island, the longer he spent away from all forms of civilization, the more in tune he grew to the thrum of life and nature around him.

He had felt it for days, and had been stockpiling supplies, preparing the hut to be struck with nature's full force, and he hoped that this time around, the hut would survive as well as it did the last storm he and Buffy had braved. At least this time, he was more prepared, and for that, he was grateful. This would be Will's first introduction to the fury that was Mother Nature, and he wanted his son and mate protected at all costs.

He ended up climbing a tree, scraping his palms and shin on the rough bark, and dragged a shrieking monkey from it's branchs, nearly snarling as it's teeth sank into his hand before he could snap it's neck.

He dropped down to the ground gracefully, then glanced around the silent jungle once more before loping back towards the direction of the beach, back home to his family.

 

Will kicked fitfully from his position on Buffy's back, strapped there in a papoose Spike had made with bamboo made pliant by soaking in salt water for several days, and then lashed into shape and allowed to dry in the hot sun. Spike's duster, now worn to tatters at the sleeves and hem, lined the inside, keeping him snug and warm while Buffy worked at packing everything up, preparing to have it all moved to the cave.

Buffy looked up as Spike swore above her as he untied the metal sheets strapped to the roof, preparing to bury them in the sand beneath the hut. They could always rebuild the hut, but the metal was precious and irreplaceable, necessary to Spike's survivial.

Buffy gathered the rest of the clothes and cloth that was still usuable and carried it out to the porch as Spike jumped down from the roof, pulling a tarnished, somewhat rusty sheath of steel with him.

"How's it going?"

"This is the last of them," Spike replied, picking up a shovel he had made by scooping out a piece of wood and attaching a handle to it. It was rough at best, but better then digging on his hands and knees like a dog, and he kissed Buffy's shoulder reassuringly, then ruffled Will's curly, honey-blond hair. "How's my boy doing?"

"He's tired and cranky," Buffy said, looking over her shoulder at Will, who whimpered slightly, "He's probably picking up on our tension."

"Here," Spike unstrapped the papoose from Buffy's back, then shouldered it on himself, and Buffy sighed in relief, rubbing her shoulders, where the straps had bitten into her skin, chaffing it a bit, "You can hang out with dad for awhile, huh?"

Will rubbed at his slightly red face, still struggling in the papoose, and Buffy smiled as she kissed Will's cheek, then grabbed up a load to take to the cave, "You're sure you got him?"

"Yeah. Maybe he'll fall asleep while I'm digging. It's a bit like a rocking motion," Spike assured her, "Be careful, huh? Animals are quiet right now, but some of them might still be on the prowl, wanting to get one last bite in before the storm hits."

Buffy nodded, then trotted off in the direction of the cave, and Spike glanced back at Will, then started to purr as he began to dig in the sand, and soon, Will was lulled to sleep by the sound of Spike's rumbling and the muscles in the vampire's back rolling beneath him as he digged.

Buffy returned to grab another load, smiling when she Will was sleeping on his father's back as the vampire carefully dragged the piece of metal into the hole he had dug, cautious not to make a sound that would disturb the child's rest.

Spike buried the metal, then mentally made note of where it was hidden by using the hut as a landmark, counting the paces from the porch to the place of burial, hoping that even if the hut was destroyed, the poles that reached down into the depths of the sand would remain in place.

He looked up as dawn began to turn the sky, and frowned when he saw the flaming red clouds as the sun illuminated them. "Red at night, sailors delight...red in the morning...sailors take warning," He mumbled to himself, remembering that rhyme from when he was a child.

Buffy followed his gaze, and Spike started to help her take the supplies to the cave before it became too light out for him to remain outdoors.

 

For two days, everything was still. No animals moved in the jungle, no wind blew, and the heat became stifling and unbearable, draping a curtain of lassitude over everything and everyone.

The sea was calm, no waves disturbing the shore, the surface as smooth as glass and as dark as midnight, though the sky was clear, with no clouds in sight, save the light haze that seemed to surround the sun as it beat down on the island below, hot and barren-looking, no longer the joyful blaze of light it had previously seemed.

Will fidgeted contanstly, moving about the hut, tears standing in his eyes the entire time as he went back and forth between his mother and father, looking for reassurance that everything was fine, even though he knew something was wrong.

He'd cuddle against his father, seeking the coolness of his skin to combat the heat that settled down on him, making it hard to breath, and he felt like the heated air was pressing down on him from all sides. After several moments, he'd toddle over to his mother for the reassurances of her hugs and kisses, and then would return to Spike.

Spike left at night to hunt again, trying to feed himself to satiation before he was forced to abstain during the storm, when it finally came, since after what happened last time, he wasn't going to leave the cave or his family for even one moment.

Will would cry, struggling against Buffy's embrace, cranky and restless, obviously worried about his father's absence, and would calm a bit when Spike returned, and would return to his nervous routine of waddling back and forth between the two of them.

When Buffy and Spike prepared for bed, he watched them anxiously, and sobbed when they tried to put him in his bed till they gave up, and allowed him to sleep between them.

He pressed his back against his father's chest, and cuddled to his mother's bosom, finally feeling safer and much less anxious as they wound their arms around each other, trapping him in between their bodies as they muttered soft words to him and each other.

 

Spike was the first to wake, something disturbing his sense of peace, and he glanced down at his mate and son before gently disentangling himself from Buffy's arms, and Will whimpered in his sleep, pressing himself closer to Buffy, sensing his father's absence in his fitful slumber.

Spike gazed out the door, and sighed, partially in relief that the anxious wait was over, partially in worry as he watched the thick, midnight black clouds in the distance, lightening flickering inside their depths. The ocean was alive once more, slapping at the sand angrily, and he returned to his family, gently nudging Buffy awake.

Will woke, dark blue eyes going wide as Spike lifted him up, and the vampire purred, holding the boy to his chest as he took Buffy's hand.

Together, the trio made their way to the cave, Spike leading the way in the darkness of the night, still holding Will. Buffy stumbled a bit over a stray root, and Spike drew her to his side, switching Will to his other arm so that he could wind the other one about her waist, holding her close.

 

The wind and rain roared outside the mouth of the cave, trees crashing together, and trunks snapping beneath the ferocity of Mother Nature's attack on her own earth.

Will was held between his mother and father, the boy whimpering, and burying his face in Buffy's neck everytime a tree close by gave in to the force of the wind with a whining, screeching crash. Even Spike's loudest purrs couldn't make him calm.

Water flooded the bottom portion of the cave, but they were safe in the far back reaches of the cave, and Spike pressed himself closer to Buffy and Will, wrapping his arms around the both of them as he whispered softly to Will, telling him some stories he remembered his mother telling him when he was a child, but Will didn't seem to be paying much attention to him.

Will jumped when a tree crashed close to the mouth of the cave, letting out a small screech as he threw himself at Spike. "DA! Lod! Lod!"

"Shhh...it's okay, Will...it's okay..." The vampire soothed quietly, "I know it's loud but you're safe, all right...mom and I are here...it's okay..."

Will sobbed pitifully, winding his arms around Spike's neck, and Spike glanced at Buffy as she slid next to him, rubbing Will's back with a small, strained smile in Spike's direction. Will turned his head on Spike's shoulder so he could look at Buffy, and she moved so that she was in his line of vision, and laid her head against Spike's shoulder, smiling at him cheerfully.

"Hey, honey..." She said softly, stroking his soft hair, "You're such a brave little guy...you know that?"

Will sniffled as Buffy kissed his forehead, cheeks and eyelids, and his cries tapered off little by little as the storm continued to rage outside.

 

Three Years

Happy

 

 _Three years...162 weeks...1095 days..._ Buffy thought to herself as she sighed, scratching a mark on the back wall with a sharpened rock. Her coke can had long ago been filled to the brim with rocks, and it had been sacrificed to make a small mobile that had been hung above Will's bed when he was younger.

She shook her head slightly, wondering when the last time she had thought about rescue was. It had to have been months. _Did I finally give up hope of that?_ She thought, frowning slightly, then glanced out the door when she heard Will screeching with laughter, smiling as she watched Spike play-wrestling with him in the sand outside.

She came to the door, and leaned against the frame, fingers absently brushing against the marks etched into it, each of them lovingly carved and labeled with Will's age as he grew, keeping track of his growth.

She was eighteen when she was stranded on the island with Spike, now she was twenty-one...and had a mate, techinically her husband, and a child, things she knew she could never have had if she was still in Sunnydale...slaying and fighting every night, never knowing if that night would be her last. If she would finally meet the demon or vampire that would take her out.

Here, she didn't have to worry about any of that. All she had to worry about was potty-training, diapers, and being prepared for hurricanes. Here, she was happier then she had ever been, even before she was called.

Sure, she missed her friends and family, wishing they could see her beautiful son and loving mate, but if she had still been in Sunnydale, the chances were that she would've been dead by now...not many Slayers made it past their eighteenth, let alone twenty-first birthday.

She giggled as Spike let Will climb all over him, pretending to be unable to throw the small child off of him, and the vampire flopped back in the sand, going into loud, overly dramatic throes of death, and then he lovingly cuddled Will to him, kissing the boy's head.

A far cry from the vicious, deadly Master vampire she had once formed a tentative alliance with to defeat Angelus and save the world. Once a slayer of Slayers, now he was a father of a Slayer's child, tender, gentle and playful as he tickled Will till the boy was nearly in convulsions with giggles.

Their life here was perfect...uncomplicated. There was no boundries drawn in the sand, with the good on one side, the bad on the other, no confusing shades of gray that left her head spinning as she tried to puzzle out where everyone stood in the world, which line they stood behind, or if they were caught in the middle between light and dark.

There were no battles, save the seldom disagreements, no slaying, save for food they need to survive, no worries about saving the world, just worry about protecting their small, strange but perfect family from outside dangers.

Buffy smiled as Spike swung Will up onto his back and raced down the beach with him, the boy squealing happily as he tugged on Spike's shaggy, blond hair, shouting in his disjointed speech for him to go faster.

 _Maybe I didn't give up_ , Buffy thought, shaking her head slightly. Maybe she just didn't care about being rescued anymore. She smiled as she ran out onto the sand, happily starting to chase after Spike, and the trio's laughter carried along the sand.


	5. Chapter 5

Five Years, Eleven Months

Disagreement

"Mom! Mom!" Will raced across the sand, nearly stumbling a few times as he ran towards Buffy, a wide grin that always reminded her of Spike's on his face. "Look at I find!"

"Look at what I found," Buffy corrected him with a smile as he skidded to a stop in front of her, butt plopping down on the sand. His curly, blond hair curled around his ears, framing his chubby face, and Buffy looked up as Spike jogged up, keeping a few paces behind the boy, and the vampire grinned at her as she turned her attention back to Will. "What did you find, sweet heart?"

Will proudly held up a small, shattered piece of coral, wanting to add it to her collection of shells. "Oh! It's beautiful, sweetie! Where did you find it?"

"Slimming!" He exclaimed, and Buffy shot a sharp look at Spike.

"You took him by the reefs?"

"He wanted to see the fish," Spike explained, "Don't worry, Slayer, I had my hand on him the whole time," Spike glanced down at Will, then grinned, "Tell mom what you saw!"

"I saw fish...and...and...shells...and a wobster!" Will was beyond excited, since he had never been allowed that far out in the water before, and he stuttered in his excitement, "An-an-and a shwak!"

"Shark?!" Buffy's eyes widened, and she looked up at Spike, "You took my son swimming with SHARKS?!"

"Buffy, it wasn't like I was chumming for them or nothing," Spike protested, "It was just a black-tip. They don't bother us if we don't bother them. We're not their chosen food source. Besides...it's the ocean...sharks are all over the place. It IS where they bloody well live."

"Don't be a smart-as--" Buffy caught herself in time, "Smart-aleck, Spike. I really wish you wouldn't take him out that far!"

Will looked between his parents, eyes wide as they argued, and they glanced down at him as he began to whimper, and Buffy sighed, bending and gathering him into her arms and lifting him up. "Ugh...someone's getting heavy," She muttered to Will, then glanced at Spike, toning her voice down some. "Could you...please not take him out that far?"

"Luv, there's not many places for him to go," Spike told her gently, laying a hand on her lower back, and rubbing his thumb in a circular pattern, smiling as she leaned into his touch. "If we don't give him some freedom, he'll try to go out there by himself and maybe get hurt or worse. Better that one of us is with him, don't you think?"

Buffy sighed, then glanced down at Will, who was still watching them almost warily, as if knowing they were still fighting, despite their calm voices. "I guess...it's just...I get worried."

"I know, pet. Me too, but if he's anything like us, he'll just do it anyway, no matter what we tell him."

"Fine, fine..." Buffy shook her head, and then grinned down at Will, bouncing him a bit to get a better grip on him, "You hungry? Dinner's all ready."

Will nodded, then wriggled till she put him down, and she smiled as he darted into the hut to put the coral with the rest of her shells, and she glanced at Spike as he wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled her throat affectionately, their argument already forgotten and forgiven.

Six Years, Three Months

Bedtime Story

Spike smiled as he softly closed the door to Will's room, glancing towards Buffy, who was lying on their bed, "He's worn-out. I could barely finish the story before he was passed out."

"What story did you tell him tonight?" Buffy asked, "The Big Bad Vamp and the Three Scoobies? Again?"

Spike chuckled as he prepared for bed, "Haha...nope...just tellin' him about the time me and Dru took out an entire bus full of nuns." Buffy's eyes widened slightly, and he grinned at her wickedly as he slid into bed beside her, "Kidding."

"About the nuns too, I hope," Buffy said, but Spike only winked at her as he ran his hand along the curve of her hips.

"Not telling."

Buffy rolled her eyes, but couldn't help giggling as he tickled her stomach with his fingertips as he urged her onto her back, and caught her lips with his, kissing her gently and lovingly, hands roaming along her skin.

He sat up a bit to gaze down at her, her long, waist-length hair spread out in a golden wave beneath her body. He took the edge of her tattered shirt and started to lift it over her head.

Buffy sat up a bit to allow him to slid the cloth over her, then abruptly jerked away from him as Will opened the door to his room, sleepily rubbing at his eyes, and Spike sighed as he sat all the way up, running a hand through curly hair that was the same as his son's, "Will...you're supposed to be in bed."

"Not sweepy," He replied, padding over towards them, and climbed up with a little difficulty, and Buffy smiled at Spike, rolling her eyes a bit as Will snuggled up against her.

Spike chuckled lightly as he lay down beside Will, and kissed the boy's head as he promptly fell back to sleep, cradled between his parents' bodies.

As soon as Will was completely out for the count, snoring softly, Spike gently picked him up and carried him back to his room, and tucked him back in, using the worn, soft leather duster as a blanket. Will frowned slightly, then relaxed as Spike kissed his forehead.

Spike quietly sneaked out once more, smiling in Buffy's direction as he closed the door, and leaned against it, listening to the sound of Will breathing from inside, making sure he was asleep before stalking towards Buffy again.

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him as he made every attempt to be quiet, but all his efforts were in vain as Will opened the door again, looking sleepy and annoyed.

Spike gave up with a small groan, then swung Will up into his arms, giving the boy a stern look, "William, you're supposed to stay in your own bed, remember? Like a big boy."

Will's only response was to throw his arms around Spike's neck and nuzzle his face sleepily into the vampire's throat, muttering something unintelligible as he fell asleep again, and Spike glanced at Buffy, who was giggling into her hand. "You think this is funny?" He asked in mock anger, and Buffy grinned at him.

"It's cute. Look at you. You're practically melting into a puddle of vampire goo," She teased, "All because he's giving you a hug."

Spike tilted his head to look down at his son's sweet, relaxed face as he slept and sighed deeply, shaking his head slightly, "What can I say? I'm a sucker for the brat."

Buffy rolled her eyes at her mate as he returned to bed, lying Will between them. Buffy smiled as she leaned forward, giving Spike a light, chaste kiss, "Night, Spike..."

"Yeah, yeah," He grumbled good-naturedly as he laid his head beside Will's, smiling as he ran a finger along his son's slightly chubby arm. Buffy watched the vampire, smiling warmly, reaching over Will to ruffle Spike's hair fondly before lying down, Will cradled between them.

Six Years, Six Months

First Sighting

He was watching Buffy playing on the beach with Will, teaching him to build sand castles when he saw it.

It was just off in the distance, a small, white object that moved slowly across the sunlit water.

Spike shielded his eyes as he stood up, protected under the shade of the porch, and his entire body tensed. Boat...fuck me...it's a 'effin boat!

"BUFFY!"

Buffy's head whipped in his direction, and then she looked in the direction he was pointing, then leapt to her feet, eyes widening.

"THE FIRE, SLAYER! YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LIGHT IT!"

Buffy gave Will a shove towards the hut, telling him to go to daddy, and the four year old looked up at Buffy, obviously perplexed, but he obeyed, trotting towards his father, who was shouting at Buffy excitedly as she raced down the sand in the direction of the signal fire that Spike had always kept built-up just in case.

She thanked the Lord for that much as she bent in front of it, taking a bit of dried moss and two sticks, grimacing slightly. She'd give her life for a lighter at that point.

It took her nearly twenty minutes to get sparks going, and ten minutes later, she finally lit the fire, and picked up a large, broad leaf and fanned the flames till the pile of wood ignited. As the fire caught some life, she started throwing on palm leaves, the oily residue inside the leaves tingeing the smoke a thick black that lifted high into the sky.

Buffy glanced towards the horizon, relieved to see the small white object was still in sight, and kept by the fire, throwing more leaves on it.

She looked towards the hut, where Spike was holding Will, pointing out the ship on the horizon, and she stopped in the middle of feeding the fire as she stared at her family, the sudden urge to just put out the fire and let things be coming over her.

They were happy here...weren't they? They had everything they could want...everything they could need...they had food, water, shelter...and they had each other...the outside world not bothering them...the stress and pressure of everyday life a joy compared to what they would have back on the mainland.

What would happen if I went home? Back to Slaying? Fighting for my life every night? Dying young and leaving Will without a mother? And what about Spike? Would he go back to killing? Even if he didn't, which, she knew in her heart that he wouldn't, what then? Would her friends and family be able to accept what he was? A soulless vampire that loved her and their son more then unlife itself? Would they find acceptance in the outside world? Or just harsh judgment?

Spike looked towards Buffy, and he frowned slightly when he saw her watching them, a look of pain and sadness crossing her face. Will wrapped his arms more tightly around Spike's neck, and buried his face against his cool skin, and Spike looked down at him.

He met Buffy's gaze, then slowly nodded his head, turning his back and carrying Will back into the hut.

Buffy glanced at the boat in the distance before turning back towards the fire and started to scoop sand over it, smiling slightly as the flames sputtered and started to die, the smoke stopping it's ascent into the sky.

She made her way back to the hut to the family and life that she had chosen over all else, a smile on her face. They were staying. They were staying together on their island.

Spike smiled as he watched Will playing with the boat he had received on his first birthday, floating it in the pool, and swimming after it happily to blow into it's sails to make it keep moving.

Buffy's arms were wrapped around Spike's middle, her head resting against his chest. She laughed when Will accidentally swam beneath the water fall and rapidly back-tracked, not liking the force of the water pouring down from above him, the boy giving the falls a look of disgust before steering his boat towards them.

It had been two weeks since they had threw away possibly their only chance at rescue, and she didn't regret a moment of it. She closed her eyes as Spike kissed the top of her head, sighing contently, then sat up as Will, damp and nude scrambled up on her lap. "Will!" She squealed, and then hugged the boy to her chest, kissing his forehead, "You got mommy all wet!"

He grinned in satisfaction, and Spike laughed, shaking his head slightly as he chucked Will beneath his chin. "Rascal," He teased the boy lightly, then swung him off of Buffy's lap and clutched him to his chest as he fell back into the water, giving his feet a little kick for good measure, and Buffy shot to her feet as she was soaked by him.

"Spike!"

Spike grinned at her as he let go of Will and did a backstroke as Buffy gave him a deadly glare, and he wriggled his eyebrows at her, "Whatcha gonna do about it, Slayer?" He challenged her.

Will watched as his mother dived into the water after his dad, grinning as he tried to keep up with them as they swam back and forth, splashing each other playfully, but they were stronger swimmers then him and much faster and smoother in the water.

Spike swam past Will, and Will kicked his feet furiously, and water flew up into Spike's face, and the vampire stopped to splash him back, giving Buffy a chance to catch up and duck him beneath the water.

Spike came back up, sputtering, and shooting a half-hearted glare in Buffy's direction, but had to grin as Buffy started giggling at him. His hair was plastered to his skull and forehead, making him look like a drowned rat, and the vampire shook his head furiously like a dog, water droplets flying from his shaggy locks.

Will imitated him, as always, and Buffy giggled, tickling her son beneath the arms before swimming back from him when he tried to kick water at her as well, and remained outside of the splash zone.

They continued to frolic in the water like children, splashing each other and tickling whenever one got near the other, and it was a breathless, soaked, but happy family that returned to their small home along the beach.

The day dawned bright as it almost always did, and Buffy opened her eyes sleepily, glancing around to make sure all was right with the world before lying down next to Spike again, and snuggled against his side, wondering idly what had awaken her from her sleep.

Spike's arms tightened around her, and his face buried itself in her hair, inhaling her scent deeply as he muttered tiredly, "Whassat?"

"What's what?"

"That sound," He replied, yawning widely against her throat, "What's Will up too?"

Buffy sighed as she dragged herself out of bed, and opened the door to Will's room, peeking in at the boy. He was sleeping peacefully, snuggled beneath Spike's duster, one little, chubby hand curled beneath his chin. His long lashes fluttered against his cheek as he dreamed, a small, innocent smile on his face, and she smiled tenderly as she closed the door.

"He's asleep," Buffy glanced at Spike, who was now sitting up in bed, frowning slightly, "What's wrong?"

Spike cocked his head slightly, "I can hear...a sort of buzzing..."

"Buzzing?" Buffy repeated as Spike swung out of bed, and walked towards the door, shielding his eyes as he looked out into the bright sun.

"Buffy..." Spike's entire body tensed slightly, and Buffy came to his side, following his gaze, the buzzing sound now faintly coming to her ears, and her eyes widened.

Off in the distance, the white speck was back, and a black dingy was carefully navigating the coral reefs that surrounded the island, the buzzing sound the motor propelling the small boat through the water. Spike couldn't see much at that distance, but he could make out maybe two, three people inside it.

They saw the fire. They had seen the fire a few weeks before and were now coming for them.

Buffy clutched Spike's arm, looking up at him with wide eyes, then glanced towards Will's room as the boy opened it, looking out at them with his dark eyes, saying softly, "Boat."

The man could make some sort of structure on the beach, just in front of the thick jungle that made up the island's interior. He squinted his eyes against the bright sun, trying to make out any signs of life, but he was still too far away.

The petite redhead sitting in front of him nervously chewed on her bottom lip, staring out across the water, and the brunette man beside wound his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him.

The redhead glanced towards the man guiding the dinghy around the dangerous reefs, green eyes slightly red as she asked over the roar of the engine, "Can you see anyone, Giles?"

He shook his head, forehead furrowing slightly. They had been sure they had seen smoke coming from this island a few weeks before, and would have investigated then, but fuel was low, and they were forced to return to Honolulu to refuel.

It had been just over six and half years since the cruise ship Buffy had been on had sank due to a freak tidal wave, nearly everyone on board having perished, including Hank Summers, but he had never given up hope. If anyone could have survived, it was Buffy.

He ran a hand through his thinning hair, the brown at his temples shot through with silvery-gray and his eyes narrowed beyond his glasses as they neared the beach, his eyes on the low, small hut on it. He couldn't see anyone moving in it.

As soon as they hit shallow water, Giles lifted the motor out as Xander hopped out of the dinghy, and started to pull it ashore, his feet slipping in the sand below as he tugged and Willow hopped out to help him, the redhead's face full of hope. He prayed that it wasn't another dead-end like so many others. He didn't think she could take another disappointment. It would be the last island in an endless chain that they would search before returning home to wait for the hurricane season to pass.

As the boat hit the shore, Giles climbed out on the sand, feeling his heart pound in his chest.

"Hello!" Xander called loudly, making everyone jump as he broke the silence of the island, and Willow frowned, pointing ahead of her.

"Someone was making sand castles.."

Sure enough, when Giles followed her gaze, he saw the half-formed turrets and walls of a sand castle, collapsing as the sun dried the sand, removing the water that had adhered to it together. Someone was here. It couldn't have been more then a day or so old.

"HELLO!" Xander shouted again, "ANYONE HERE!?"

No one answered again, and Giles was about to suggest they investigate the hut when a boy darted out of the door and ran down the sand, and stopped a good distance from the group, watching them curiously.

Giles frowned as he gazed at the blond boy, something about him seeming familiar, and Willow smiled as she knelt down, "Hey, little guy..."

He immediately turned and ran back to the hut, and Giles looked towards it as a woman, scantily clad in scraps of clothing stepped out onto the porch, golden hair flashing in the sunlight as the boy ran into her arms, and she lifted him up as she stared out at them.

"It's Buffy..." Xander said softly, "Oh God...we found her..."

"The boy must've been stranded with her," Giles muttered, and then started up the beach, tears stinging his eyes. It was Buffy...he could see her now, and her eyes were wide as she held the boy to her breast, staring out at him.

"Gi-Giles?"

Xander and Willow were behind him, and they approached the porch slowly, almost reverently, their eyes on the Slayer the entire time, and the boy started to cry, wriggling in Buffy's grasp and she looked over her shoulder into the hut before putting him down.

The boy raced into the hut as Willow ran up on the porch, and threw her arms around Buffy, letting out a relieved sob, "Oh Goddess! You're alive! I knew it! I knew you'd survive!"

Buffy's entire body went tensed as she just stood there, still shocked beyond comprehension, and Willow let go of her, her smile watery, her eyes filled with tears, "We missed you so much, Buffy...we never gave up hope that we would find you..."

Buffy's mouth opened and closed a few times, and then she shook her head to clear it as she finally seemed to gain a bit of semblance to herself, and looked at Willow, Xander and Giles in turn, still a bit stunned. "You guys...were looking for me...all this time?"

"Of course, Buffster!" Xander's grin was big enough to break his face, "Do you think that we'd forget all about you?" He looked up at the hut, "Good thing we found you. You've been living in this thing for six years?"

Buffy's eyes narrowed slightly, "It's my home."

"I know, I know...but it's so..."

"Buffy..." Giles interrupted, knowing that Xander was treading on dangerous water, and the boy was, as ever, painfully unaware that he was ticking someone off, "How are you?"

"Well...I was fine..." She muttered beneath her breath as Will ducked his head out, eyes wide as he peered at all the new, strange people, and Buffy reached down, absently stroking his head.

Giles glanced down at the boy, and was struck again with the sense of familiarity. Will meet his gaze, his midnight-blue eyes going wider as he hid back in the hut, and the former Watcher could hear him talking to himself inside.

"How did you survive all these years?" Giles asked her, "I mean...you look...healthy...you and that boy..."

Buffy smiled wanly, "It's...a long story..."

"Buffy..." Willow asked softly, "Are you really okay? I mean...out here...all alone with no one but a kid...?"

"I wasn't alone," Buffy sighed heavily, then glanced towards the doorway as Spike stepped into it, holding Will in his arms, the boy looking at Willow briefly before burying his face in the vampire's neck.

Giles frowned, peering at him, and then his eyes went wide. His looks had changed quite a bit, his hair longer and shaggier, and no longer bleached, but the smirk he threw at the old man was trademark. "Hey Watcher...long time."

Willow's eyes looked about ready to pop out of her head, and Xander, as always, was confused, "Hey...how'd you know Giles was a Watcher?"

"It's Spike," Buffy informed him, rolling her eyes as she reached for her mate's hand, wrapping her fingers around his, as Will happily repeated it for Xander's benefit, "Pike!"

Buffy smiled at Will tenderly, her face softening and Spike smiled slightly as he set Will down, but the boy immediately ducked behind his legs, wrapping his arms around his knees and hiding from the new-comers. "He's shy. He hasn't seen anyone but us. Ever,” Buffy informed them softly as Spike squeezed her hand in assurance.

Giles tore his gaze away from Spike's face to look down at Will, and then abruptly looked back up at Spike. The resemblance was almost dead-on, except for the nose. "Good God...he's..."

"Our son," Buffy said softly as Spike drew her to his side, the vampire looking uncertainly at everyone, feeling a bit like Will at the moment, and wished he had someplace to hide. "He's our son, Giles..."

"You mean...like...adopted...right?" Willow stammered, "I mean...cause...vampires...can't...right?"

"Yeah, we adopted him," Spike said sarcastically, "We had him bloody well flown in. What the hell do you think?"

"Spike..." Buffy glanced down at Will, who was starting to look about ready to cry again, and Spike bent down to pick him, and he whispered to him soothingly as he took him back inside.

Giles shook his head slightly, "We can't leave then, till nighttime..."

"What? We're taking Spike with us?" Xander asked, "What the hell for?!"

"He's...that boy's dad, Xander," Willow told him, "We can't just leave him."

"That boy's name is William," Buffy said somewhat coldly, "And who says we're leaving?"

Xander, Willow and Giles all stared up at her in confusion, and Buffy whirled, stalking inside the hut.

Willow tried to follow her, but Giles laid a restraining hand on her shoulder, shaking his head, "Give her a few minutes," He told her gently, "She just...needs to adjust."

Spike was sitting on Will's bed, keeping the boy distracted with a story, and he glanced up as Buffy stomped into the hut, and she paused to look in at them, and Will slid off his bed, holding his arms up, "Mom! Up!"

Buffy picked him up, and her eyes filled with tears as she sat down beside Spike, cradling Will to her chest. "We shouldn't have lit that stupid fire."

Spike glanced down at his hands, folded in his lap and sighed heavily, "What are we going to do?"

"I thought we decided to stay," Buffy looked at him, "Don't you want to stay?"

"Gods, yes," Spike sighed heavily, "More then anything in the world, pet...but..." He looked at Will, who was playing with a strand of Buffy's hair, "We have to think about the boy, luv. I mean...it was easy...the other day...pretending that the boat didn't see us...but now...there's a real chance at this...to get off..."

"I don't want too," Buffy rested her head against Will's and the boy stopped playing with her hair as he picked up on his mother's mood, and she smiled slightly as he wrapped his arms around her middle. "They...acted exactly like I thought they'd act..."

"I know...I heard," Spike shook his head slightly, "But the whelp's an idiot...even you know that," He reached over and cupped her chin and lifted her face towards his as he brushed his lips lightly across hers. "It doesn't matter what they think...it's not going to change the way you feel about me or the way I feel about you...or the fact that we have a son and are a family. We have each other...and if no one else likes that...they can fu--sod off."

"I know," Buffy said softly, closing her eyes as she held Will tighter, "I just...don't want to leave, Spike...I'm happy here...and the world out there...it's harsh and...and hard...and bloody..."

Spike nodded slowly, brushing her hair out of her face, "I know, Buffy...but that's fine for us...but what about for Will? What kind of life is this for a child? He should have friends...he'd be going to school in about two...three years...he should be able to rot his brain with the telly...he should have a girlfriend...a wife one day...children of his own...don't you want all that we have together for him? For our son too? For him to have a future that doesn't involve mangos and fish?"

Buffy looked down at Will, his eyes meeting hers and she kissed his forehead. "Wanna go on a ride in a boat, Will?" She asked softly, and the boy's eyes widened a bit as he grinned.

"Boat! Want boat!"

Buffy giggled softly and Spike chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Buffy and then rested his head on her shoulder as she started to cry. "I know it's hard to leave, pet...but it's for Will, right?"

"For Will," She whispered as she stroked her baby's hair, closing her eyes with a sigh, "For Will."

Giles, Willow and Xander sat on the porch for about an hour before Buffy returned to the door, tentatively inviting them in, and the trio clambered up, curious to see inside for themselves.

Spike was sitting at the table he had made for Buffy, Will resting on his lap, keeping his concentration centered on his son, and only his son. He didn't want to see the dirty looks being thrown at him by them. He wasn't interested in what they thought of him.

Will was completely afraid of the strangers, while curious at the same time, but that didn't keep him from starting to cry again, and Willow jumped in surprise when Spike instinctively started purring at the sound, and Will pressed his face against Spike's chest, allowing the vibrations and rumbling sounds to sooth him a bit.

"It's...very nice," Giles said, a bit awed, "You and Spike...built this place, all by yourself?"

"Yep," Buffy smiled, proud as any homemaker would be of her home, "It's stood up against three hurricanes already. Well, we lost the east side wall in that last one...so we had to rebuild, and that's when we added Will's room, but other then that, it stood up pretty well."

Xander peered at the collection of shells that sat on a shelf, and then glanced towards Buffy as she spoke with Giles, absently brushing her hair away from her face, and his eyes narrowed, and he stalked towards her, lifting her hair away from her throat, revealing the scar on her throat, "He bit you?!"

Buffy jerked away from Xander, more startled by the sudden contact, and Spike growled automatically at the movement towards his mate, unable to help it. "Xander! Don't...do that, all right? I'm not entirely comfortable around you just yet!"

"He bit you! The bastard bit you!"

"It's a mate claiming bite," Buffy snapped at him, "I'm Spike's mate, and he's mine. Now stop yelling. You're upsetting our son."

Xander glanced towards Will and Spike. The boy was watching him with fearful, wide eyes, and Xander took a step back away from Buffy as he threw a confused look at Giles, who seemed oddly not worried. "He bit her, and you don't care?"

"She's alive, Xander," Giles gave him a look, "We probably owe a lot of that to Spike, and he obviously hasn't tried to harm in her anyway. I suggest you shut your gob and just sit down and listen instead of running off at the mouth."

Spike grinned but hid it in Will's hair as Giles glanced towards him, and the Watcher shook his head slightly as he removed his glasses to clean them, "Your son is how old now?"

"Four and a half," Spike answered, then looked down at Will with a loving smile, "Smart bloke, he is too. Said his first word when he was just one, didn't you?"

Will looked up at his father, grinning unsteadily before hiding his face again, and Giles smiled slightly. He didn't quite understand how it came to be that a vampire and a Slayer had a child, but he would know once he got back to his books. Unless it became a moot point...

"You're...coming home with us, right?" Willow asked softly, her eyes on Spike as he distracted Will from the strangers, trying to put a smile back on his face, succeeding in making Willow smile when she saw the look Buffy sent towards the pair. It was filled with warmth, love and tenderness.

Buffy sighed, and Spike looked up at her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Yes...we're going...back," She answered, not able to bring herself to say 'home.' Sunnydale was no longer their home. This place was...this island...had been...was still at the moment, their home for over six years.

Willow's smile broadened as Giles cleared his throat, glancing at Xander, "We need to return to the boat and let them know we found them, and that we have to come back at night fall."

Xander nodded, throwing a glare in Spike's direction, which the vampire ignored, and Willow looked towards Giles, "Is it all right if I stay here? I want to talk to Buffy."

Giles nodded, giving Buffy's shoulder a gentle squeeze as he softly whispered to her, "I'm glad you're coming home, Buffy...you've been dearly missed."

She didn't answer him, and he gestured for Xander to follow him, and the two men returned to the dingy.

Will seemed to relax as soon as the majority of the people left the hut, and wriggled off his dad's lap to go over to Buffy and take her hand, looking up at Willow curiously, and the redhead smiled at him, "He looks a lot like Spike."

"Yeah, he does," Buffy shifted uncomfortably, then sighed as she sat down on the bed, pulling Will onto her lap, and cuddling with him almost self-consciously, and Willow sat on the floor near her feet, brushing her hair away from her face.

"We've...been searching for you for so long...going out on boats every summer and vacation from college we got...Giles spent most of his savings on renting boats to take us around...it got better though, when I found a locator spell...but it only told us that you were in the general area of a large chain of islands about two hundred miles off from Honolulu. We've been looking at them for the past year..."

Buffy nodded slowly, her gaze coming up to Willow's and she chewed on her lip. "We saw your boat...three days ago...but...we put out the fire...I put out the fire..." Buffy looked down at Will, "We wanted to stay here so bad..."

Willow blinked in surprise, "Why? There's nothing here!"

"You're wrong," Buffy looked towards Spike, and he smiled at her tentatively, "This is our home, Willow. This is where we've raised our son so far...this...is where I've been happier then...ever before. This is our home...and this is my family now..." Buffy shook her head, "I'm so afraid..."

"Of what?"

"Come on, Willow...you have lived in Sunnydale, right? You know...with the giant mayor snakes and vamps trying to take me out every night? Why in the hell would I want to go back to that? Why would I want to go back to being Slayer and die young and leave my son without a mother!?"

Willow didn't know what to say to that, and Buffy shook her head as she set Will down and stood up, "I need...I need to be somewhere else right now..." She said more to Spike then Willow, and the vampire nodded, bending to pick Will up, and Buffy raced out of the hut.

Willow scrambled to her feet to follow, but Spike laid a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head, "She needs some time, Red...she needs to be alone for a bit."

"Why doesn't she want to go back?" Willow asked, looking crushed, and Spike sighed.

"It's nothing against you, Red. She's missed you all too...but you know what's waiting for her in Sunnydale. If you were in her shoes, would you really want to go back too?" Spike absently kissed the top of Will's head, running his fingers through his son's hair, 'It's the hardest thing she'll do...turn her back on all this to return to a life she hated...but she's doing it for our son."

Willow looked down at the ground, and Spike slipped past her to put Will down for his nap, the boy getting cranky from all the excitement, "Six years is a long time, Red..." He glanced over his shoulder at her, "She'll need time to adjust...we all do. Don't push her too hard...you or the others."

Willow nodded slowly as the vampire disappeared inside Will's bedroom, closing the door behind him, and she sighed as she looked around the hut before crossing over to the small table, three chairs sitting at it, and she smiled wanly as she brushed her fingers over Buffy's name, roughly, but lovingly carved into the wood.

Everything was so simple looking, but a lot of care and work had gone into it, showing the determination and love of the small family, trying to survive on an island by themselves with only the bare necessities...and doing well at it too. Well enough that Buffy didn't want to leave, and Willow had a hunch that Spike didn't want to either, but they had their son to think of.

Willow quietly peeked in Will's room, leaning against the doorway as Spike spoke with Will quietly, telling him about all the new friends he was going to be making when they got back home, and about his grand-mum Joyce, who 'made one hell of a cup of cocoa.'

Spike glanced towards her as Will snuggled beneath the duster, then looked down at his son almost sadly as he stood again, and went back out into the main room, closing the door behind him.

"You really love them, don't you?" Willow asked softly, and Spike shot her a sharp look.

"Of course I do. What kind of bloody question is that?!"

"I meant...I mean..." She stammered, blushing, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to offend you..."

Spike shook his head slightly, glancing out the door and across the beach, where the damnable boat was waiting to rip them away from their paradise. "I'd give up everything for them, Red...already have."

Willow worried her bottom lip nervously, and the vampire brushed past her to sit out on the porch and wait for Buffy to return, anxiously looking up and down the beach, trying to catch sight of her, just as he had done for what felt like a thousand times before.

Buffy winced slightly as a rock bit into the heel of her foot, but she ignored the pain as she walked up the steep, overgrown path of the large rock face that jutted out from the island. She hadn't been up there since their first week on the island, when she and Spike had climbed it, hoping to find some signs of life.

It felt like it had been an eternity since then, but it had been all to short, nevertheless.

She reached to top, and looked down over the island, smiling slightly when she saw their small, little hut, steel roof glinting in the sun, and she could just barely make out a shadow on the porch. Spike was probably waiting for her to come back. He was always worried when she left sight of the hut.

She turned her head to look out on the ocean, and she could see the boat that would take them back to the mainland and away from the life she, Spike and Will had built for themselves, and she felt tears sting the inside of her eyelids as she sat down on the ground, shoulders shuddering slightly.

Why couldn't they just leave us alone? She thought morosely as she cried, burying her face in her hands. She desperately wanted to stay...but Spike was right. It was all well and good for them...but what about Will? He would grow up with no other company then her and Spike, and would die without knowing anything else. And even then...what about Spike after both she and Will died? What would he do? Stay on the island, alone for eternity? She knew that he would rather walk into daylight then be alone.

She lifted her head, gazing out over the ocean, sighing heavily as she curled her knees to her chin, lips trembling slightly. She had never been so frightened of anything in her life as returning back to the existence that she had left behind in Sunnydale.

She hid her face in her knees, entire body trembling as she wept. I can't do this...I just...can't...

"Mommy!" Will shot out of Spike's arms and down the beach as soon as he saw Buffy's form coming towards them.

Spike stepped off the porch, night having fallen in her absence, and he could already see the light of the dinghy sweeping out along the water as it came back for them.

Buffy knelt and captured Will in her arms, hugging him tightly as he threw his arms around her neck, and she buried her face in his hair, as if attempting to hide from what was coming. She had seen the boat leave the ship, and had returned.

She looked up as Spike approached, and smiled a bit watery as he knelt beside her in the sand, reaching out to brush her hair from her face, looking concerned, "You all right, luv?"

"Yeah," She smiled down at Will, who was looking out over the water, watching as the light approached, looking curious. He hadn't seen artificial light before, just firelight.

It's going to be a whole new world for him...she thought, A whole new set of discoveries and little mysteries for his little self to solve...

Spike watched as a loving smile bloomed on Buffy's face, and the acceptance, perhaps unwanted, but still there, rise up in her eyes, and sighed partly in disappointment. He was almost hoping that she would convince him to call it all off...to send everyone away...but he knew that this was the right thing to do, just as she knew it.

She slowly turned her gaze towards the hut, where Willow was watching the family stuck in their intimate, silent tableau, and felt slightly violated. She wasn't used to being watched by anyone besides Will and Spike. She would have to get used to the staring, if they were going to do this.

She sighed as she stood, taking Will and Spike's hands, squeezing them gently, and started towards the hut, chewing on her lip as she glanced up Willow almost shyly, "Wills...can you do us a favor and watch Will for a tiny bit...there's...some stuff I want to see one last time before...we leave."

"I'll be happy too, Buffy," Willow said, kneeling down and smiling gently at the boy, who was suddenly shy, looking up at his mom and dad for reassurance, and Buffy knelt, kissing his forehead.

"Willow's a good friend of mommy and daddy's, honey...she'll take good care of you. Daddy and me will be right back...okay? Why don't you show Willow your boat?"

Will glanced at Willow, but excitement at showing off his most prized possession won out over shyness, and he raced inside to get it.

Spike looked down at Buffy curiously, and she met his gaze squarely, and Willow raised an eyebrow as some sort of silent message was conveyed before the pair linked hands once more, and started off into the jungle behind the hut.

She looked down as Will tugged at her pants leg, and smiled as he held up his crudely carved boat proudly, and she sat on her knees beside him, exclaiming over it excitedly, bringing a wide grin to his lips.

Spike and Buffy slipped silently along a path that had been paved by their feet over the last six years, the dirt firm beneath their bare feet.

Every few moments, Buffy would pull Spike towards her, devouring his lips in a burning kiss, hands sliding over his bare chest and along his strong arms.

He tried to pull her towards him, but she slipped through his grasp like sunlight, golden skin shining in the dim light of the moon, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears for the paradise they were to leave behind.

He followed her, as he knew he was destined to always do, but he knew no better heaven as she slipped into the water of the pool, pulling him after her, lips colliding in fiery passion. Scraps of clothing were discarded, left to float on the silvered surface of the water.

"I love you," Spike murmured softly as her skin slid slickly against his as he pulled her up against him, and Buffy closed her eyes as she pulled his head towards hers, lips meeting sweetly together.

They drifted beneath the water fall, and Buffy threw her head back, letting out a sweet laugh as the water poured down upon them, and Spike smiled as he lifted her up against him, and her laughter turned to a gasp as she slid back down, their bodies connecting intimately.

She looked down at Spike as he entangled his hands in her hair, tilting her head down towards him, capturing her lips once more as they surged together, wet skin pressed together, hands roaming, as if trying to touch every single section of skin, to connect more fully then humanly possible.

"I love you...I love you..." Spike repeated in breathless pants, against her lips, her ear, her throat, against her breasts, wanting her to feel the strength of his words in the very fiber of her being, just as she had invaded every fiber of his.

She drew Spike's lips back to her throat, over the mark he had given her years before, whispering his name as she felt the bones shift in his face, and then the sweet pain/pleasure of his fangs sliding into her flesh, and drawing her essence from her body into his.

She held his head to her tightly, half wishing that he wouldn't stop, wishing that he would end everything had begin. On their island. Let me die here...

His fangs withdrew from her throat, and he tried to lift his head, but she held him still, "Please...please..." She begged, pleaded desperately, "Please..."

Spike only pressed the flat of his tongue against her wound, holding her tightly against him as the tears fell down her face, rubbing his hands along her back until she let go of him with a sob, and she buried her face in his shoulder, "Don't leave me..." She said softly, pulling at him, clinging to him, afraid to let go...afraid that if she let go, he would disappear...just like their island was destined to do from her life.

"Buffy...pet...I got you," He whispered into her hair, "I'm not letting you go...I'm here, pet...I'm not letting you go..."

Exhaustion tugged at him, trying to drag him into the supposed safety of sleep, but he wouldn't let it come.

He roamed about the small cabin, chewing on his bottom lip as he watched over his sleeping child and mate, the blond, golden-bronzed pair snuggled together on the bed, but even they couldn't find the peace they sought in sleep. Tiny frowns marred each of their perfect brows; both unused and uncomfortable with the rocking, rolling motion of the ship they were on.

He reached out and smoothed the hair away from Will's forehead, and the child seemed to relax as he felt his father's cool hand, and Spike smiled wanly, then glanced towards the door when someone softly knocked.

He opened the door, his entire body tensed till he saw it was Giles on the other side, and relaxed a tiny bit. "I just...wanted to...check on everything..." Giles looked a bit uncomfortable when faced with the vampire alone. At another point in his life, Spike would've been amused. At the moment, he was just irritated. He didn't asked to be disturbed, and he wasn't doing a thing to intimidate the Watcher. "Is...everything fine?"

"They're sleeping," Spike replied a bit sharply, "It took them awhile to finally rest, so I'd thank you to not wake them." Giles looked a bit taken aback, and Spike sighed as he slipped out into the corridor, closing the door softly behind him, but was unwilling to go farther then that. He had never felt more uncomfortable about leaving his family alone before...but he was on unsure ground. "Sorry...I'm really kind of..."

"Stressed," Giles smiled, trying to assuage the vampire's apparent irritation and uneasiness, "I completely understand. The reintegration into society will be a hard road to pave."

Spike ran a hand over his face, starting to really feel the exhaustion kick in. Giles saw this and frowned slightly, "You should rest as well. You're looking haggard..."

"I can't till..." Spike faltered, unable to really explain why he didn't think he could sleep, "I just can't..."

"Not till you reach mainland?" Giles asked shrewdly, and Spike met his gaze, slightly surprised.

"It's stupid...but...yeah..."

"I'm not at all surprised," Giles laid a hand on Spike's shoulder, and he flinched slightly at his touch, and Giles dropped his hand, not looking at all insulted. All of them seemed to be like that...not used to human contact beyond their own for over six years.

"You've been through a lot, Spike...you all have. You're going to have...to get used to everything again. It's not going to be easy and probably not very fun. Especially for your son, who's never been around anything or anyone but you and Buffy for nearly five years...and they're both...going to need you..."

Something changed in Giles' tone, subtle, but Spike still picked it up. "Why don't you get to your point, Watcher?"

Giles cleared his throat uncomfortably, somewhat disconcerted to learn that over six years of almost total isolation hadn't affected Spike's powers of observation. "Well...uh...I need...your assurance...that once...you reach mainland...you...won't get a sudden craving for...what did you call them? Oh, right...'happy meals on legs'..."

Spike's eyes narrowed slightly, and Giles realized that he may have overstepped his boundaries as the vampire let out an angry growl, and stepped back from him. "How dare you..."

"Spike...I'm sorry...I just needed to know..." Giles reached out, and Spike shrank back from him.

"Don't fuckin' touch me! All right?! DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Spike...I didn't mean..."

"Just...stop..." Spike shook his head, "No one bloody well means too!"

Giles watched as Spike whirled and slipped back into the cabin, locking the door behind him, and the Watcher sighed as he leaned against the wall of the corridor, bowing his head slightly.

He looked up as Xander plodded down towards him and held up his hand, "They're sleeping."

"Yeah?" Xander scowled, "What about Dead Boy?"

"Don't even start, Xander," Giles straightened himself, and moved past the man-boy, and Xander looked towards Buffy's door.

"What?! We're not supposed to be worried about him munching on the innocents?!"

"Buffy's not concerned, and neither am I," Giles replied, grabbing his arm and pulling Xander along with him.

"Well, I am! Besides, Buffy's not one to judge. Just because he's been biting her and not killing her on that stupid island..."

Giles whirled and shoved Xander against the wall. "Listen to me, and listen to me good, Xander. Buffy and Spike have been through a lot...they've spent the last six years on that island, alone! Trying to survive and raise a child together! If you, in anyway, interfere with the only thing that is right in their lives ...I will be severely displeased."

"You call that right?! Her...screwing a demon?!"

Giles' grip tightened on Xander's arm, and he cried out in pain, "That demon is the father of her child! Her mate, Xander, and for all intents and purposes, her husband. I swear to God if you say anything like that again I will personally rip out your tongue! Just be happy Buffy's alive and coming home for Chrissakes!"

He practically threw Xander away from him, stalking back down the hall of the ship, and Xander stared after him in shock at his outburst. He had never really heard Giles speak to him...or anyone in that manner before. Jesus Christ...

Spike leaned against the door of their cabin, eyes closed as he listened to the argument between Xander and Giles, grateful to the Watcher for defending him and his family...and beyond pissed at Xander for attempting to just make it harder on Buffy to come to terms with her decision to leave the island.

The memory of her holding him to her throat, begging him to not stop flashed through his mind. He let out a shudder, opening his eyes to gaze at Buffy, her heartbeat still slow and steady, breathing even. Asleep...she hadn't heard what was said. Thank whoever was up there for small favors. He crossed towards the bed, the sound of Xander's footsteps as he let them be for the moment echoing in his ears.

He sat down beside Will and Buffy, gazing down at his family, face softening as his son hugged his little toy boat to his chest, snuggling farther into the soft leather duster. He had protested wildly when Buffy tried to tuck him in with normal blankets, long since having claimed Spike's coat for his own personal security blanket.

Buffy groggily opened her eyes, and looked up at Spike, "Honey...come to bed..." She said sleepily, reaching out for him, and he allowed himself to be drawn down with her, and he draped his arm over her and Will.

Will immediately let out a small sigh, and pressed his face into Spike's chest, seeking contact unconsciously, and Spike smiled sadly as he kissed the top of his little boy's head, and closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to come.

Buffy's hand came up to run over his face comfortingly, soothing him, and she smiled as his purrs started as he drifted off into sleep, and she laid back down, pressing her front against Will's back, and closed her eyes. Sleep was easier coming now, and much more restful.

"I tried to find you a room that wasn't close to any occupied ones..." Giles was telling Buffy and Spike, but the couple were only half-listening as they clung to each other, Will's arms wrapped around Buffy's neck as he held on to her, eyes wide as he looked around at all the people in the hotel in Honolulu.

Spike was carrying only a small duffel bag, filled with small things they couldn't bear to leave behind, and he felt overwhelmed. It was tourist season, and the island seemed to be teeming with people, and he felt his chest hitch every time someone brushed against him, and Buffy's grip on his waist tightened, and she half-buried her face in his shoulder in fright.

Willow and Xander trotted behind them as Spike and Buffy tried to speed their progress, trying to get away from the crowd, and Will was dangerously close to crying.

Buffy and Spike practically threw themselves into the elevator, and Giles offered them a sympathetic glance as he closed the elevator before anyone else could climb on. Spike slumped against the glass of the elevator, closing his eyes as he tried to get his raging emotions into check.

"Are you all right?" Willow's voice sounded distant...faraway, and Spike slowly forced his eyes open, trying to focus on the redhead in front of him, and instead of answering he glanced at Buffy and Will, both not doing much better then he was.

Giles laid a hand on Willow's shoulder, shaking his head at her gently, and the redhead looked confused, but took a step back.

"I called Joyce from the boat, Buffy...I didn't tell her about Will or Spike, however...I think I'll leave that up to you..." He smiled gently, "She's missed you a lot, Buffy...she's never given up hope either..."

Buffy only nodded her head slowly, eyes closed as she leaned against Spike for support, breathing somewhat heavily. "Wh--when are we getting out of here?"

"Our plane leaves tomorrow night at nine-thirty...we'll probably have to stay the day in LA...and then drive back to Sunnydale once the sunsets."

"Plane...?" Buffy's head slowly lifted, anxiousness crossing over her features, "How long is the flight?"

"About...five...six hours..."

She shuddered, not liking the idea of being on a small, cramped plane filled with people for six hours, and Giles smiled at her reassuringly, "People will be sleeping on the night-flight, Buffy. You, Spike and Will will be seated together, so no one will be beside you..." Giles stepped out of the elevator as the doors slid open and was relieved to see that at least no one was in the corridor.

He led them towards their room, "Xander and I will see if we can find a place that will sell us blood. I don't suppose it'll be a problem, since I am sure that there are vampires in Honolulu..."

Spike simply nodded as he tried to slide the card-key through the lock on the door, but his hands were shaking too much, and he closed his eyes as Willow took the key from him and opened the door for him.

"Thanks," He murmured, and Buffy brushed past him with Will, and then he disappeared with them inside, closing the door behind him, and Willow glanced at Giles, almost hurt, but the Watcher shook his head.

"It's overwhelming for them, Willow...they just need to be with each other right now."

"Right...and let's go back to this whole 'me and Xander' shopping for deadboy's blood..." Xander started to say, and Giles glared at him, and the boy took a step back, not wanting a repeat performance of what had happened on the boat. "Fine...fine...I'm going..."

Spike ran a hand over his face as he closed the door on the others, glancing at Buffy when she sighed as she put Will down and collapsed onto a bed, “You alright?”

"God...I don't think I can do this..."

"I know, pet..." Spike shook his head slightly as he watched Will look about the room, and he turned on the light switch, illuminating the place, and Will looked up, eyes going wide.

"Daddy! What that!?" He asked, pointing upwards at the light in the ceiling, and Spike smiled slightly.

"It's a light bulb, baby..." He sat down the duffel and pulled out Will's toy boat, then glanced at Buffy, where she was laying on the bed, "I'm going to give Will a bath, all right, luv? Why don't you order some food or something?"

"Oh...food...food is good..." Buffy rolled over on her stomach, reaching for the menu on the bedside table.

"Remember what the Watcher said...nothing too rich or fatty...not till you get more used to having real food again..."

Buffy glanced at him, pouting a bit as she sat up. "This sucks...the one good thing about being back in the real world being cheesecake and cheeseburgers...and I can't have any..."

Spike chuckled as he swung Will up into his arms, handing his son his little boat, "Fine...one piece of cheesecake...if you get some fruit to go with it...and you eat it slowly."

Buffy smiled at him wanly, "Anything for you?"

Spike chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, "Some scotch...and some fruit for Will...and maybe a little cookie," He looked down at Will, who was grinning happily up at his father, much more relaxed when it was just the three of him, no intruders violating their privacy. "Better make it chocolate chip. Think he'll flip over it?"

Buffy smiled as she got to her feet and crossed over towards them, kissing Will's forehead before kissing Spike, and the vampire smiled against her lips, then swatted her bottom playfully, "Bit of a relief, really...not having to go and build a bloody fire with two twigs before eating."

Buffy laughed a tiny bit, and he grinned at her before heading off to run a bath for Will, and Buffy cocked her head, listening to her son's squeal of delight when Spike turned on the faucets, and she giggled when he came charging out, little bottom bare, "Mommy! Look! Look!" He said, taking her hand excitedly and trying to drag her towards the bathroom to come see what his dad had done.

"I know, honey," She told him, scooping him up to kiss and tickle him, delighting in the sound of his laughter as Spike leaned against the doorway of the bathroom, a smile on his face as he watched his child and mate play.

Buffy looked up towards him, then sat Will down, giving him a tiny shove, and he ran back towards his father, "Go ahead, I'll order the food."

Spike grinned at her, then disappeared with Will once more, this time closing the door behind him to prevent escape, and Buffy sat down on the bed with a sigh before ordering room service. Then braced herself as she prepared to ring her mother.

She dialed the number slowly, feeling as if she was preparing the firing squad, then closed her eyes when she heard her mother's voice as she picked up on the other end. "Hello?"

"Hey, mom..." Buffy smiled wanly, "How's things?"

Spike toweled Will dry, smiling as the boy kicked his feet against the toilet, liking the hollow sound it made when his heels hit it, and he grinned up as his father as Spike attacked his head with the towel, making it all stick up.

"Remind me to get your a haircut, kid," Spike said, spiking Will's hair for fun, grinning back at him, "What about old dad, huh? Think I need a trim?"

Will nodded emphatically, and Spike chuckled as he slid the boy's shorts back on, courtesy of Willow, and he growled at his son playfully before swinging him up, holding him around the middle with one arm, letting him dangle down as the boy laughed.

It suddenly cut off, and Spike looked down at Will, who was staring ahead of him in surprise, and followed his gaze. The mirror.

Spike chuckled as he set his son on the bathroom counter and Will immediately went up to the mirror, eyes wide as he looked on himself really for the first time, holding up his hand and waving, and then tried to grab at the boy on the other end, looking surprised when he came up against solid glass.

He looked up at Spike in confusion, "What that?"

"It's a mirror, Will," Spike leaned over, tapping the boy's reflection and then him, "See? That's you. You can see yourself in it..."

"Why not you?" Will asked, pointing at the spot of the mirror that was empty, and Spike chuckled again.

"Tell you when you're older, huh?" Spike's keen ears picked up the sound of a door opening, "Whoops, food's here."

Spike picked him up, smiling when Will looked disappointed at not being able to explore this new discovery farther, but once he saw the food, he brightened considerably.

As allowed, Buffy had her cheesecake, as well as most of the fruits she and Will had been eating for the past six and four years, respectively, as well as some new ones.

"And scotch for the gentleman," Buffy handed Spike a tumbler filled with the amber liquid, and the vampire sighed.

"Of all the things I lost, I think I've missed you the most," He addressed the liquor and Buffy looked at him like he was nuts, and he winked at her cheekily before downing it, watching as Will tucked away into his food, "I just can't wait till that boy is a teenager. If he can eat that much now, he's going to break us by the time he's sixteen."

Buffy rolled her eyes but was smiling as she held her plate of cheesecake and hopped up on the bed.

"How'd things with your mum go? How'd she take the news about you having a brat now?"

"Umm..." Buffy flushed slightly, picking at her cheesecake, "It...sorta...didn't come up."

"Didn't...come up?" Spike raised an eyebrow, "Luv..."

"I didn't tell her," Buffy jutted out her lower lip, "I didn't know exactly how to tell her that...I was shipwrecked with a vampire and we somehow did the impossible and got pregnant."

"Ahhh...and you think us all showing up on her doorstep is the best way to break it to her?"

Buffy sighed, shaking her head slightly, "I'll...call from LA, all right? I'm not really...ready for the big mom thing right now."

Spike smiled at her in understanding, sitting down on the edge of their bed as Will finished his dinner, and he grinned as he took the cookie Buffy had ordered, and broke it in half. He gave it to his son, who sniffed it in confusion before taking a bite and his eyes immediately lit up. He looked up at Spike and Buffy as if wondering which one of them invented that magnificent concoction. Buffy shook her head as Will practically inhaled the rest of it, snorting, "I can see a chocolate freak like his dad in the making."

"I am not a chocolate freak," Spike protested as he lay back on the bed, smiling as Buffy offered him a bit of cheesecake, "I just happen to like your mum's cocoa. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Hmmm..." Buffy snuggled back against the pillows, enjoying her dessert as Will looked beneath the bed, as if trying to find the other half of the cookie, which Spike was currently munching on discreetly, and Buffy turned on the TV across from them.

Will immediately went rigid as he sat up and stared at the television, and Spike barked out a laugh, "Look at him...telly's already rotting his brain."

"Shameful..." Buffy gave Spike a look as he took the remote control out of her hand and turned it on to Passions, his favorite soap.

"I can't believe this..." Spike shook his head, irritation flitting across his features. "Six years, I've been out of the bloody soap loop...and I finally get to watch it again, and it's an episode I've already bloody well seen!"

Buffy giggled at his expense, and he rolled his eyes as he turned it on to what appeared to be a Hawaiian version of Sesame Street, with puppets and everything, and slung the remote aside before pulling Buffy into his arms and burying his face against her throat with a small growl.

"You're such a freak," She teased him lightly, and he lifted his head, eyes soft as he leaned up a bit, kissing the tip of her nose before resting his head against her shoulder, cuddling against her as Will tried to grab at the puppets and children on the television.

After getting bored with the television after a while, Will glanced over his shoulder at his parents. They were snuggled together on the bed, both fast asleep, and he pushed himself to his feet, and with some difficulty, managed to climb up on the bed with them.

He gently pushed and shoved them till they was enough room to squeeze between them, and he wrapped his arms around his mom's waist, burying his face against her stomach, and he felt the rumbling of his father's chest start up behind him and he smiled as he drifted asleep.

Spike grimaced as he was pushed and shoved as people tried to get off the plane, feeling as if his skin was crawling on his bones as he felt people staring at him, which probably wasn't wrong. He was wearing a white t-shirt that said 'I `heart' Hawaii' and a pair of Bermuda shorts that showed off his pale legs, but he was also wearing his long, ragged, black duster. Will was wrapped up in it, eyes squeezed shut as he pressed himself closer to his father's body, as if trying to hide within the coat's depths.

Buffy was right in front of him, and every few seconds, she looked back, as if afraid Spike would be lost, even though they were standing in a narrow aisle, and he couldn't exactly go anywhere but forward.

Will whimpered, little face scrunching as he began to cry softly, and Spike murmured to him softly, trying to sooth him, but he was undoubtedly picking up on the vampire's own tension. "Come on, mate...buck up, hey?" Spike bounced the boy, and Will looked up at him with dark eyes, "Be good, and you'll get another cookie. You like cookies, right?"

"Are you bribing our son?" Buffy asked, and Spike grinned sheepishly, then looked down at Will as he relaxed a bit.

"Worked, dinnit?"

"I can see the start of a bad trend," Buffy sighed, but she smiled as Spike reached out and took her hand, the contact doing wonders to calm her nerves a bit. They finally made it off the plane, and Spike glanced around the airport, trying to see over the crowd's heads to find Giles, who had been in front of them.

Spike sat Will on his own two feet, but still held the boy's hand, frowning slightly as he glanced around, jumping when someone brushed up against him, and he moved away from the people still exiting the plane.

"Do you see Giles?" Buffy asked, still keeping a tight grip on Spike, and the vampire glanced over his shoulder as Xander came up behind them.

"Problems?" The boy asked Spike derisively, and Spike gave him a disgusted look before picking up Will again.

"Lost the Watcher," Spike answered, "Seen him?"

"Buffy!" A voice called out, and Buffy eyes went wide as she looked up at Spike, her grip on his hand tightening.

"Oh...God..."

"Oh..." Xander winced, "Giles called him before we came to investigate the smoke we saw...um...I'm going to be getting out of the line of fire now..."

Spike pulled Will closer to his body as he let go of Buffy, and he faded back into the crowd as Buffy slowly turned, eyes immediately picking out the large, somewhat bulky dark-haired man practically shoving through the crowd, and her entire body froze. "An-Angel?"

"Buffy! Christ!" He wrapped his strong, suffocating arms around her, hugging her tightly, and Buffy was hard put to gently disentangle himself from his grasp.

"Angel...what...?"

"Buffy!" Giles finally decided to make an appearance, and he looked sheepish, "Uh...I...see you found each other..."

"Yeah, thanks," Buffy said half-heartedly.

Angel kept her still clasped in his arms, his eyes roving over her face, "God, Buffy...I was so afraid...that I'd never see you again...” He clasped her to him again, tightly clinging to her as tears sprung to his eyes, "I almost died when I heard that you were lost..." He whispered, and Giles chewed on his bottom lip as he glanced around, looking for Spike. A confrontation in the middle of the airport was not a thing to look forward too.

Angel suddenly went tense, and then moved the hair away from her throat, frowning slightly as he stared down at the scar on her throat, "What in the hell...?"

Buffy finally managed to pull away from him, smiling wanly up at him, "Good to see you again, Angel," She said softly, casting her eyes down.

"She's tired, Angel...we should be getting to our hotel..." Giles tried to intercede.

"Mom! Mom!" Will broke through the crowd and grabbed Buffy around the leg, holding onto her tightly, and Angel glanced down at the boy.

"Will!" Spike shoved past some people, a desperate look on his face, and he looked relieved when he saw him clinging to his mother's leg, and he ignored Angel as he scooped Will back up, keeping his head ducked. "Stop bothering the nice lady and come on..."

Buffy looked down at her mate, taking pains to not alert Angel to his presence in her life, and she smiled faintly down at him. Spike straightened, back to Angel, and his eyes met hers before he prepared to disappear with Will again, but Angel's hand clamped on his shoulder, squeezing it painfully.

Spike's eyes snapped shut as Angel let out a low growl, "Put the kid down...now!"

Spike only clutched Will to him tighter, looking at Buffy desperately when he felt a stake pressing against his back. Angel was mistaking him for a vampire trying to sneak off a kid for a quick meal, and this was bound to end dusty.

"I said now!"

Will pressed his face against Spike's chest, letting out a frightened whimper, and Buffy took Will out of Spike's arms, smiling as he threw his arms around her neck, giving Angel a distinctly distrustful look, "Stop it, Angel. You're scaring him."

A small smile curled at Spike's lips at Buffy's somewhat naive misinterpretation of Angel's reaction, and he turned, giving Angel a glare, "Mind putting that thing away, Peaches?"

Angel stared at his much changed Childe, eyes going slightly wide as he took in his change of dress, longer and shaggier then usual hair, the color of honey, and then his eyes flicked towards the boy in Buffy's arms as she tried to sooth his cries, and his eyes went wide.

"What the...?"

"Not now, Angel," Buffy took Spike's hand, and pushed past him, pulling her mate alongside her as she glanced over her shoulder at Giles, "We'll meet you at the hotel, okay? I need to get out of here...it's too..." She threw a look at the people around her, and Giles nodded in understanding.

"The reservation is under my name, Buffy," He told her, "Everything's taken care of..."

"Thanks," She glanced at Angel, who was staring at her in hurt confusion, but ignored that in favor of escaping from the crowd of people that wasn't a lot for the normally busy airport, but was stifling nevertheless.

He turned back to Giles, "Was...that Spike?"

Giles sighed heavily, and then glanced at Xander, who looked almost giddy, shaking his head slightly. "Xander and Willow will fill in the gaps," Giles said with a sigh, "I'm going to get our bags and see if the duty-free shop has liquor."

Willow's eyes were wide as Giles scrambled off, then looked towards Angel, wondering how in the hell she had gotten stuck with this. Xander simply rubbed his hands together, eyes glinting evilly. “So...Angel...it's like this...”

Will stared out the window of the cab, eyes wide, gaze transfixed by the LA skyline, the millions of lights illuminating the smog-filled sky. He pressed his little nose against the smudged glass, dark blue eyes widening a bit. “Day...” He mumbled beneath his breath, and then glanced up at his father worriedly. He had learned early on in life that the day was something that his father feared and his mother worried about on his behalf.

Spike looked down at him, and then out at the skyline, his lips curling up in a wan smile, “S'not day, Will...it's just light...” Spike saw this line of reasoning confused his son, and he tried to think of a way to simplify it for his sake. “A bit like fire...but different.”

“Fire?” Will pressed his nose against the glass once more, trying to process this new information. Spike kissed the top of his head and then looked towards Buffy, who had been silent since they had left the airport. She was looking out the other window, her face a bit drawn and her eyes slightly narrowed.

“Buffy? Luv? You alright?”

“Huh?” Buffy blinked in surprise and then turned to look at Spike and Will, smiling a tiny bit before slipping across the seat and snuggling against his side, closing her eyes as he draped his arm over her shoulders. “Believe me when I say I've been a lot better.”

“I believe you,” Spike replied, toying with a strand of Will's curly hair, “Could've been worse...not exactly sure how, though.”

“You're a big help...not,” Buffy shoved Spike lightly, and the vampire chuckled, “I just can't wait to get to the hotel and sleep.”

“Until Peaches tracks us down and dusts me for shaggin' his woman.”

“Jeez...Neanderthal much?” Buffy rolled her eyes, and then rested her head on his shoulder, “Besides...I'm your woman now...and you're mine.”

“I'm your woman?” Spike injected mock horror into his voice, and then glanced at the cabbie when he turned to look at them, “Eyes on the road, mate! You're drivin' with my kid in the backseat, for Chrissakes!”

Buffy elbowed him none too gently before leaning back against him with a sigh, running her fingers along the scar marring her throat, Spike's mark proclaiming her to be his mate. “I so don't need Angel's crap right now,” She muttered, turning to nuzzle her face into Spike's throat. “I wish we were back home.”

“I know, pet...me too...” Spike embraced her lightly, “But look at Will...when he's not fussing...he's lookin' pretty damned amazed.”

Buffy smiled as she glanced at her son, his slightly chubby face broken with a wide grin as he stared at the cars that went by, waving bye-bye at all of them as they passed, and clutching his little carved boat to his chest. He turned his head when Buffy reached out to stroke his honey-blond head, beaming at his mother brightly, reminding her for whom they had made the ultimate sacrifice. “Yeah...he does...doesn't he?”

Buffy sighed deeply as she fingered the phone cord in her hands, chewing on her bottom lip as she waited for her mother to pick up the ringing phone. It was eight in the morning after all. More then likely her mom had already left for the gallery, but Buffy had forgotten her mom's schedule. It had been nearly six years after all. She sighed as she hung up the phone, glancing at the single bed in the room, where Spike was sleeping, his head half-buried in the pillow, a troubled frown etched on his face.

Will was seated in front of the television, a half-eaten cookie in his hand as he watched Blue's Clues, a bright smile on his face. He repeated what he was asked to by the kid in the green and white shirt, but quietly, careful as always not to disturb his father who had a bad habit of sleeping late during the day. Buffy shook her head slightly with a smile as she seated herself next to her son, and he immediately clambered into her lap. “Bwue's Cwues!” He pointed at the screen proudly, and she smiled, kissing his honey blond curls and hugging him to her chest.

“Shhh, darling...you don't want to wake up daddy...he didn't get to sleep much last night.”

“It's fine, I'm up...” Spike yawned widely as he sat up and he grinned as Will immediately climbed up on the bed to throw himself at his dad, and he wrapped his strong arms around his son, kissing his forehead and glancing towards Buffy, “You call your mum?”

“She wasn't home,” Buffy sighed heavily, “I forgot she left for work around 7:30...sorry.”

“S'alright...” Spike beamed down at Will, “Looks like we're goin' to be givin' your grandmum a heart attack, Will.”

“Don't tell him that!” Buffy gave Spike a look, “My mom is not going to have a heart attack.”

“No, maybe not...but axes could come into play,” Spike instinctively rubbed that back of his head, as if relieving the night he had first tried to kill Buffy and had met the Slayer's wrathful, overprotective mother. “Maybe I'll let you go in first.”

“Oh, come on...my mom likes you,” Buffy rolled her eyes, “After the whole love spell thing, she wouldn't stop talking about `poor Spike', `that horrible woman being so mean to him,' and `the poor, dear boy' for like...three weeks. I felt like screaming my head off, it was sooo infuriating.”

“Hmmm...and now you scream my...” Spike glanced down at his son, who was staring up at him with wide eye, “Um...shouldn't you be rottin' your brain with the telly right about now?”

“You're corrupting our son,” Buffy scooped Will up into her arms, kissing his slightly chubby cheek and she glanced towards the door when someone knocked on it, “Oh...maybe that's Uncle Giles with daddy's breakfast.”

“Oh...breakfast in bed...” Spike grinned as he lay back, “I can get to likin' civilization again.”

“Don't get used to it,” Buffy replied, tossing a pair of his shorts that were on the floor at his head, “I hope you don't think that I'll be bringing you breakfast in bed anytime soon.”

“Luv...you are breakfast in bed,” Spike pressed his tongue against his lower lip, waggling his eyebrows suggestively, and Buffy covered one of Will's ears in horror.

“SPIKE! Not in front of Will!”

“Sorry,” Spike didn't look a bit so, and Buffy rolled her eyes as she went to answer the door.

“If our son starts smoking, drinking and bleaching his hair, I'm blaming you,” Buffy told him as she opened the door.

“Luv...he's only four. I don't think we have to quite worry about that yet,” Spike pointed out, and then sat up abruptly when he saw who was at the door, a low growl being ripped from his throat instinctually.

Buffy glanced out into the hallway, paling when she saw Angel standing there, and Will immediately started to fidget nervously, blue eyes going wide as he stared at Angel from Buffy's arms. “Oh...um...Angel...hi...”

Angel didn't answer her right away, instead staring at the young boy clinging to his mother, the features unmistakably Spike's, save for the nose, which was upturned up a bit at the end. Classic Buffy nose. His eyes narrowed a tiny bit as he looked over her shoulder at Spike, who was pulling on a pair of pants over his boxers, his golden blond head bowed slightly as he refused to meet his Sire's eyes.

“Buffy...can I talk with you?” He asked tightly, and Spike's head jerked up at his tone and he immediately straightened.

“Don't you talk to her like that,” Spike growled out shortly, “You have no bloody right...”

“Spike...” Buffy turned, handing him Will, her eyes pleading with him silently not to cause a scene, “Could...you take Will downstairs? They have a breakfast buffet...and there's no windows in the dining room...” She smiled at him when she saw his slightly insecure look, planting a firm but chaste kiss on his lips. “I'll be down in a bit.”

“Promise?” Spike asked quietly, and Buffy nodded, still smiling as she reached out to stroke Will's hair.

“Definitely,” She assured him, “Love you guys,” She kissed Will's forehead, “Make sure daddy behaves himself, okay?”

“Kay!” Will agreed cheerfully, throwing his arms around Spike's neck, “Want momkey...”

“We don't eat monkey anymore,” Spike reminded his son, ignoring Angel completely on his way out, “How `bout a pop-tart or somethin'?”

“No pop-tarts!” Buffy called after them, “Spike! I mean it! Don't be feeding him that crap! I don't care what it says on the box, it isn't breakfast!”

Angel watched the exchange between Spike and Buffy incredulously, and then glanced at Buffy, raising his eyebrows, “Monkey?”

“Long story,” Buffy sighed heavily, “Come in.”

Spike was ill at ease as he went down towards the hotel dining room, gritting his teeth together, simply at the thought of Angel near his mate. He knew he was probably being irrationally jealous and overreacting just a bit, but who could blame him? He was the love of Buffy's life...but that was a long time ago, wasn't it? Plus, they had a son...they were happy together...and she did tell him that she loved them in front of the poof...so no need to worry, right?

He shook his head, running a hand through his longish hair as he sat Will down on the ground but keeping a firm grip on his small hand to prevent him from running off somewhere he wouldn't be able to follow. He glanced around the dining room as he went in, seeing Willow and Xander were seated at a table in the corner, the whelp with a plate heaped high with food, and Willow looking a bit green as she watched him shovel the food into his mouth. Spike shook his head slightly. And people called him an animal.

He looked critically over the food in the buffet, wanting to give Will something he'd enjoy, but nothing too rich for his still adjusting palate. He finally settled on some fruit and a glass of milk before hesitantly going over towards the table with Willow and Xander, the redheaded witch having spotted him and waving him over.

“Hey,” He mumbled in greeting as he sat Will's plate on the table and sat down, settling Will down on his lap.

“Hey Spike,” Willow replied before leaning forward, practically gushing at Will, “Hello Will...aawwww...he's sooo cute...”

“Yeah, real cute,” Xander eyed the boy doubtfully, “Before he turns evil and starts eating people.”

“Hey!” Spike glared at Xander, “Don't talk about my boy like that! He's not bloody well evil, you ponce!”

“Xander!” Willow gave Xander a dirty look, and he yelped when she kicked him beneath the table, “Be nice.”

“OW!” Xander rubbed his bruised shin, “What? It's a perfectly legit worry. He is a vampire-Slayer hybrid...” Willow kicked him again, “OW! Stop that!”

“Shut your bloody mouth,” Spike growled at Xander, starting to stand and Willow gave her best friend a warning look.

“Don't go, Spike...Xander's sorry. Aren't you, Xander?”

“What? I...OW! Fine! I'm sorry! Stop kicking me!” Xander grimaced, “I think you broke my knee.”

“Stop being such a baby,” Willow smiled when Spike sat down once more, “Oh...I got some stuff for you...I thought you'd be tired of the whole `ship-wrecked' chic you're currently sporting.”

Spike glanced down at his tattered duster and his pair of much too baggy blue jeans, borrowed from Xander and a hideously colored Hawaiian shirt. “More then tired...actually sickened by it...”

Willow beamed as she picked up a paper sack from beside her, and reached inside, “Here...I got some black jeans...I think they're your size and a black t-shirt...I couldn't find one of those red shirts you used to like so much...but I figure you can live without that for awhile...”

“Thanks...” Spike took the shirt and jeans, oddly touched by Willow's thoughtfulness, “Uh...ta, luv...appreciate it...”

“And the best part,” Willow held up a box of hair bleach with a grin, and then frowned, “Unless you're not into the whole...Billy Idol thing anymore...I guess six and a half years is a long time...”

Spike glanced down at Will as he finished up his breakfast, “What do you say, kid? Wanna watch your da scream in pain while his scalp melts off?”

“So...long time...” Buffy bent and picked up Will's little toy boat off the ground and tossed it on the bed, nervously chewing on the inside of her jerk, well aware of Angel's intent gaze at her back. “Sorry about the mess...but Will got up early and started tearing apart the room...” She smiled slightly as she turned, “When I woke up, he was on the phone, talking to some lady down at the front desk.”

“Uh...that's nice...” Angel crossed his arms over his chest, “I...got part of the story from Willow...and another part I derived out of Xander's...gloating. But I'm still confused about what happened on that island...”

Buffy bristled at his snippy tone, taking offense, “What's with the attitude? What in the hell did I do?”

“Spike, for one...”

“Oh...GOD!” Buffy glared at him, “You're...I can't even believe...where in the hell do you get off talking to me like that?!”

“Buffy...I'm worried about you...Spike is...”

“The father of my son, Angel...so you better watch what you say about him,” Buffy said tightly, “I don't even want to have this discussion with you.”

“We need to have this discussion...”

“I really don't think we do,” Buffy replied tightly, “Listen...we've been broken up for nearly...seven years now. You left for LA without a backward glance...”

“I know...I made a mistake, Buffy,” Angel sighed heavily, “If I had known...I wouldn't have let you get on that boat...I never wanted that to happen to you...”

“Don't,” Buffy held up her hand, “You didn't know, I didn't know...but even if I did know...I would still have gotten on that boat, Angel. You may not believe it...but that tidal wave...aside from the whole...no other survivors thing...was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“What?!” Angel stared at Buffy like she had gone completely insane, “How can you say that?”

“I was happy...Spike, Will and I...we were all happy,” Buffy shook her head at his look, “You don't get it.”

“I...don't even understand how you can say that...” Angel frowned in confusion, “You were shipwrecked on an island with virtually no rescue in sight. How am I supposed to understand that?”

Buffy sighed, “And I don't expect you too. Listen, Angel...I love you still...it's just...things are different now. I have a son...a mat-“ She winced as soon as the word was out of her mouth. Angel immediately went rigid, and then he darted forward, grabbing Buffy by the arm. She cried out in pain and surprise as he brushed her hair from her throat, eyes narrowing when he saw the scar marring her golden tanned skin.

“I'll fucking kill him.”

Buffy grabbed his arm, and forced him to let go of her, “Don't touch me,” She hissed, “I really getting tired of people grabbing at me all the time! And you won't do anything to Spike. I asked him to do it, so stop overreacting!”

“You have no idea what you committed yourself too!”

“I know exactly what I committed myself too...the father of my child and the man I love...”

“He's not a man! He's a vampire, Buffy!”

“Really...I didn't notice what with the blood drinking, and the aversion to sunlight...” Buffy said sarcastically, “God...you must think I'm a complete idiot or something...”

“Well! What am I supposed to think?!”

Buffy closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath, “Wow...I haven't felt the need to hit someone the way I want to hit you for over six years.”

Angel drew back a step in surprise at her threat, taking note of her clenched fists, “Buffy...I didn't mean it like that. I'm just worried about you...”

“Don't be,” Buffy replied shortly, “For the last six and a half years, Spike and I only had each other to worry about, with only me to look after him and him to look after me and both of us to look after William. We survived...against all odds, we survived, and now we have a family. It's not your job to worry about me anymore, hasn't been for a long time. Believe me...whatever little argument you have stored up to use against Spike, to try and make me see, and I use the term lightly, reason...it won't work. And I would thank you to back up off me right now, all right?!”

“Buffy...I wish you would just act mature about---“

“All right...out!” Buffy shoved him towards the door, “Angel Angst hour is over!”

“Angel what hour?!”

“You heard me,” Buffy replied, “Just...give me some time to get more settled in and I promise, I'll listen to your bitching for a whole hour, uninterrupted. I'll give you a call...”

“Buffy! You can't just pretend...”

“Listen...Spike's downstairs with a four-year-old who is even more hyperactive then he is, and Will can move pretty damn fast for a kid with short legs,” Buffy opened the door and gave Angel a bodily shove out of it, and he nearly slammed into Xander, who was about to knock on the door.

“Oh...God...I've waited an eternity for this,” Xander turned his eyes upwards, “Thank you, God, for finally letting me see Buffy toss Angel out on his ass.”

“Xander, shut up,” Buffy said in irritation, “Where's Spike and Will?”

“Willow's room,” Xander was still smirking at Angel, who was glaring between him and Buffy, as if undecided about who he was more pissed at for the moment.

“Buffy...”

“Angel...please!” She looked at him pleadingly, “Just...please...leave it be. Spike and I...and Will...we're all trying to adjust to being back...and it's hard...it's just so damn hard, and you're not making it any easier on us...”

“It's not my job to make it easier on you,” Angel replied in annoyance, “This discussion isn't over...”

“I damn well think it is...” Buffy tensed when she heard a shrill squeal, and immediately whirled towards the sound, a smile curling the corner of her lips. Spike was holding Will upside down, tickling him mercilessly, barely avoiding the boy's little flailing legs. His hair was a bleached blond once more, and he was now dressed in the black jeans and t-shirt Willow had bought him.

Spike finally seemed to notice the attention he was attracting, and he glanced up at Buffy, a sheepish smile crossing his face as he sat Will back on his feet. Will immediately shot towards his mother, and wrapped his arms around her legs, sticking his tongue out at his father with a playful grin.

“You...bloody little scamp...” Spike dived for Will, and the boy let out another squeal before racing for the open bedroom door, his dad close on his heels.

“Hey! No running around! You'll break something...” Buffy winced when she heard the sound of a lamp breaking, “Spike!”

“It was the kid!” Spike defended himself as Buffy rolled her eyes and stalked back into the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving Xander and Angel outside, and the two men glared at each other before stalking off in opposite directions.

Giles glanced in the rearview mirror several times during the van ride towards Sunnydale, somewhat disconcerted by the sight of a small boy seemingly floating in mid-air as he curled up on Spike's lap, his face nuzzled against the vampire's throat. He had fallen asleep almost immediately, lulled to sleep by Spike's soft, almost inaudible purrs. He hadn't rested much the night or day before, being to excited by the plane ride and then watching as his father's head magically changed colors. He had spent the better part of the afternoon inspecting Spike's hair and tugging at it in puzzlement, and though Willow had gelled it back, under Will's administrations, it was now tousled and spiked.

Buffy was leaning against Spike's side, her head resting on his shoulder, and Spike had his arm draped about her shoulders, fingers absently caressing the skin of her arm as he stared out the window at the passing cars on the highway, a tiny, but unsure smile on his lips. He was anxious about returning to Sunnydale...but no more so then he knew Buffy was. He only had to face some unpleasant memories...most of them dealing with Drusilla...but he could deal with that fairly easily. There was still the underlying pain of losing his dark princess, as well as guilt, since he had always blamed himself for her death. Buffy, however, had to face returning to a Hell Mouth, where danger lurked around every corner, where she may have to face taking up Slaying duties once more. Not that she would, if he could help it...and Giles had yet to broach the subject, and Buffy wasn't eager herself to bring it up.

Buffy looked up when Spike gave her a tiny squeeze, his gaze fixated on the window, a worried look on his face, and she pressed her lips to his shoulder, and he looked down at her, smiling faintly. “Penny for your thoughts...” She said softly, eyes flickering towards Willow, who was sitting in the very back seat, dozing off a bit. Xander was seated in the front seat with Giles, and was annoying the Watcher by fiddling with the settings on his radio.

“Just stuff...” He replied, resting his head against Buffy's, “Hell Mouth stuff, mostly...”

“Me too...” Buffy sighed heavily as they crossed into the Sunnydale city limits, and Spike glanced at the Smiling Face Sun on the `Welcome to Sunnydale' sign, looking almost regretful when it stayed intact for the first time with him passing by it. It seemed...almost sacrilegious. However, once they were within the city limits and heading into town, all regrets fled, replaced with worry once more.

Buffy's grip on Spike's arm tightened when they pulled onto Revello Drive, and she worried her bottom lip between her teeth as Giles slowed the van down, and pulled it to a stop in front of her old home. Buffy stared at the familiar two-story house, lights blazing in all of the windows, including her old bedroom, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath when she saw a feminine shadow pass by the living room window.

“Mommy...” She whispered beneath her breath, and no one, save Spike heard her, and he kissed the top of her head and whispered a few reassuring words in her ear as Giles hopped out of the front seat and came around to open the side door for them.

Buffy hopped out, and Spike carefully followed her, cradling the still sleeping Will to his chest, and the boy mumbled something sleepily beneath his breath, burrowing his face into Spike's throat once more. Buffy smiled at her two men, and then took a deep, shuddering breath as Giles, Xander and Willow gathered behind her.

“Buffy? Luv...?” She glanced back at Spike, who was looking just as uncomfortable as she was, “Uh...would...you rather the Watcher...took me an' Will to a hotel or something for the night? Give you an' your mum some privacy...time to catch up?”

Buffy glanced back up at the house, considering it, but she really didn't want to be without her mate and son for even a day. She reached back and took Spike's hand, and drew him beside her, shaking her head, “No...I...I need you...” She said softly, “I can't do this...”

“Yes, you can,” Spike kissed her forehead fondly, “I can wait out here with W--”

“No...” She shook her head again, looking back at the rest of the Scoobies, “I...uh...I think we're...okay now...” She told them, looking more then a little uncomfortable, “I...we...need to do this...without the audience...”

“Buff...are you sure?” Xander glanced at Spike uncomfortably, “You're not actually going to invite him in, are you?”

Spike shot Xander a dirty look, which Giles, Willow and Buffy all echoed, “It was never revoked,” Buffy replied tightly, and Xander blinked in surprise as Giles took his arm and started to drag him back towards the van.

“What? He had an invite before?! When was this?!” Xander asked in a disbelieving tone, but no one answered him as Willow offered Buffy a reassuring smile.

“Good luck,” She said quietly, and Buffy nodded, glancing back towards her home, watching as the drapes were pulled back from the window, and she leaned against Spike when she saw her mother peeping out. Willow returned to the van, where Xander was still loudly protesting, but no one paid him any heed. Joyce disappeared from the window as the others took off.

Spike drew back a few steps as the door flew open, watching as a much aged Joyce Summers practically threw herself at Buffy, half-sobbing, half-screaming her daughter's name, and Buffy stumbled back nearly a foot before catching her balance, starting to cry herself as she clutched at her mother.

“Oh...God...my baby...my little baby...” Joyce sat back a bit, cupping Buffy's face in her hands and searched it, as if to make sure it was really she. “I was so afraid...” She clutched Buffy once more, “I thought I'd never see you again...”

Spike watched the tearful reunion, a watery smile on his own face. Will had woken up in all the commotion, and he was watching the scene with wide, bewildered eyes; they were both yet unnoticed by Joyce, who only had eyes for Buffy at the moment.

“My beautiful baby girl...” Joyce stroked Buffy's long, sun-bleached hair, her smile wavering but never leaving her face, “I prayed everyday for this...” She told her, still in tears, “I've waited forever to hold you again...”

Buffy buried her face in her mother's graying hair, muffling her sob, “I missed you, mommy...I'm so sorry...I missed you...”

“Shh...shh...” Joyce continued to stroke Buffy's hair, “Don't be sorry, baby...it wasn't your fault, don't ever be sorry...”

Buffy sniffled as she sat back a tiny bit, but never leaving her mother's protective embrace, and she swiped at her tearing eyes. She hadn't realized till just then she had really and truly missed her mother, and felt horrible about all the pains she had put her through...and had been willing to put her though just so she could stay on a deserted island with Spike and her son. If she had ever lost Will...she shuddered at the mere thought of ever losing her son. She abruptly looked up at Spike, and Joyce followed her gaze, her eyes going slightly wide when she saw the vampire. “Spike? Is that you?”

Spike ducked his head as Will managed to wriggle out of his arms and the boy dropped agilely to the soft grass, but then immediately hid behind Spike's legs, peeking out at Joyce curiously, with a shy smile on his face. “Evenin' Joyce,” He greeted, a bit uncomfortable, “Uh...there wouldn't be any axes laying `bout, would there?”

Joyce smiled unsurely, her eyes dropping down to the boy clinging to Spike's legs, and he ducked back in hiding when she looked at him, and she glanced at Buffy for an explanation, feeling no threat from the blond vampire. Especially since Buffy wasn't jumping at him with a stake or a right hook.

“I...tried to call you...” Buffy stammered, “But...you were at work...or something...I didn't want...well...Spike didn't want...to give you a heart attack or something...I'm sorry...I should have called the gallery...but I couldn't remember the number...and then there was Angel...and I couldn't find Giles...”

“Buffy...breathe...please. You're hyperventilating, darling.” Joyce advised her daughter, straightening as she looked back at Spike, “What's going on?”

Spike glanced at Buffy, who was taking Joyce's prudent advice, and shifted on his feet, looking down at Will, “Uh...well...she...wasn't alone...” Spike hedged, “Um...I...was on the boat too...and...we sort of...uh...and then...” He looked down at his son pointedly.

Joyce glanced down at Will once more as Spike's explanation trailed off lamely, and the boy peeked out at her once more, his wide blue eyes meeting hers, and Joyce's eyes shot up to Spike's face, and then down to Will's again, “Oh...well...I...um...see,” Joyce cleared her throat, “He...looks quite a bit like you, Spike.” Buffy looked at her mother in surprise as Joyce knelt down so that she was eye-level with her grandson, a strange, unreadable look on her face, “What's...his name?”

“William,” Buffy replied, looking up at Spike, “Uh...Will...we usually just call him Will...mom...I...”

“Mr. Giles never mentioned him when he called...he and I are going to have a few words next time I see him,” Joyce said, more tears filling her eyes, “He's...very handsome.”

Spike knelt down beside Will, smiling at his son fondly, “What're you waitin' for, mate? It's Grandmum Joyce...don't you want to say hello to grandmum?”

Will stared at Joyce with his beautiful, blue eyes, not making a move till Spike prodded him forward gently, and then he moved only a few steps forward before stopping, unwilling to go forward anymore. “He's...a bit shy...not used to many people,” Spike said by way of excuse, “But...we told him `bout you...so he knows the name...he's just bein' difficult...”

Joyce smiled as she straightened, finding her attention divided between Spike, her long lost daughter and her newly found grandson. This was...almost too much for her to take...but not in an unpleasant sort of way. “Please...come in...” She smiled down at Will warmly, “If his father is any indication, I bet someone wants a cup of chocolate.”

Buffy smiled when Spike grinned widely, swooping Will up into his arms, and Joyce threaded her arm around her daughter's waist, and Buffy laid her head on her shoulder as they followed Spike and Will inside.

Joyce silently stepped through the living room after straightening up the kitchen and rinsing out the mugs that had held cocoa. The lights were already off in the living room, and the drapes pulled to protect the vampire resting on the couch from the sun that would be rising in a few hours. She glanced down at Spike, who was sleeping a bit fitfully, probably not used to sleeping without Buffy and Will at least in the same room. She smiled slightly as she unfolded the afghan from the back of the couch and draped it over him. He stirred in his sleep, but did not wake.

She watched him sleep for several moments, chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully. His hair, though bleached and recently trimmed, was still longer then his usual style, curling around his ears a bit, and the tips of his hair were still a bit brownish where Willow had missed some spots. She reached out tentatively, touching his cool cheek, and then ran her fingers through his tousled hair, smiling when he started to purr softly.

She heard small footsteps on the stairs, and she straightened, partially startled, and then smiled when she saw Will standing on the stairs, looking around in sleepy confusion, Mr. Gordo clutched to his chest. Apparently, he had laid claim to Buffy's favorite stuffed animal. “Hey,” She greeted quietly, “What are you doing up, baby?”

“Thwisty...” Will replied, rubbing one of his blue eyes, too tired to be shy at the moment, and a maternal smile bloomed over Joyce's face as she went up to her small grandson, and took his small hand in her own.

“You want a glass of warm milk?” She asked him, “Help you sleep.”

“'Tay...” Will padded after her, his bare feet slapping against the wood floor. She picked him up and set him on a stool at the kitchen island, and he leaned against the counter, resting his head on the stuffed pig, eyes half-open as he watched Joyce start warming some milk in a saucepan on the stove. He rubbed his hand beneath his nose as she glanced at him, starting to sniffle a bit, tears starting to fill his eyes for no apparent reason.

Joyce smiled at him gently as she poured the warmed milk into a little cup, and set it down in front of him, but he ignored it as he turned his face into Mr. Gordo's soft depths, “William? What's wrong, honey?” She laid a hand on his head, stroking his soft, curly hair.

“Wan' go home...” He sniffled out crankily, kicking his small feet against the bottom of the counter, “Too loud...”

A small smile tugged at the corners of Joyce's lips as she handed him the cup of milk, “Drink up, Will...and then we'll get you back in bed with mommy, all right? You'll feel better when you get some sleep.”

Will obediently drank the milk Joyce had given him, but the petulant pout on his face had not moved from its spot on his lips. Joyce took the cup from him, and picked him up into her arms, planting a kiss on his warm cheek, and he laid his head on her shoulder, yawning widely as he kept a firm grip on Mr. Gordo. She carefully went past the couch, where Spike was still sleeping, and made her way up the stairs and towards Buffy's room.

She pushed open the door, glancing around briefly at the unchanged room. She hadn't moved a thing since Buffy had disappeared, as if afraid that if she changed a single thing about her daughter's dwelling, it would mean she wouldn't come back to pick her dirty socks up off the floor, or hide her diary beneath her bed once more. Buffy was lying in her bed, a mere lump beneath the covers, and Joyce knelt down, disentangling Will from her neck, where he had already fallen asleep, and carefully tucking him in beside his mother. Right away, Buffy rolled over, hand searching for her son and as soon as she found him, she snuggled against his side, face burrowing itself in his hair and she sighed softly as she slept.

Joyce smiled, tears springing to her eyes once more, and she kissed Will's forehead, and then Buffy's. She straightened, and lingered for several minutes, watching as her daughter and grandson cuddled together, but frowns marred both their faces, as if feeling the absence of one more person in their family unit, but all three wouldn't have been able to fit in Buffy's single bed. She would have to look into getting a bigger bed for Buffy's room, not wanting to give up any of her family anytime in the near future. The house had been far too empty for far too long. And now she had an entire family to fill it once more with laughter and life.

“Good night, my darlings,” Joyce said softly before going out and closing the door quietly behind her, pressing a hand to her mouth as she closed her eyes and leaned against the door, trying to muffle her sobs. Oh God...thank you...thank you so much...


	6. Chapter 6

Joyce Summers was up early the next morning, before anyone else in the household stirred. She had lain awake most of the night anyhow. Several times, she had gotten out of bed to check on her daughter and sudden extended family, almost afraid that the night before had been a dream...her daughter, Will and Spike, all figments of a fevered imagination created by a desperate mother.

But they were all still there. There was a moment of panic when she checked in on Buffy to see William was gone, but when she checked on Spike for the fourth time, she had found him lying on his back, her grandson cradled to his chest, the vampire's chin resting on the child's head as they slept. She had nearly broken down in tears again, but managed to fight them back.

Her Buffy was really home...Spike and her beautiful grandson really existed. It was almost too much for her to process. Just a few days before, she had no daughter, no real hope of ever seeing her child ever again, and in less then a day, she had her daughter back, as well as a grandchild and pseudo-son-in-law. She felt as if her heart was going to burst in two, she was so very happy and relieved.

Now, she was in the kitchen, quietly preparing a big breakfast for her family, a small smile on her face, as for the first time in nearly six years, she prepared breakfast for someone other then herself.

As she set a plate of pancakes on the table and began making some bacon, she heard giggles coming from the living room, and she looked up with a smile as Spike came into the kitchen, Will slung over his shoulder, his little feet kicking in the air as he squealed happily. "Mornin'," He greeted Joyce with a somewhat shy smile, which widened when she beamed at him brightly.

"Good morning, Spike, coffee's in the pot, if you want some."

"Oh...Gods, yes," He had such a look of pleasure on his face at the mere thought of coffee that Joyce had to laugh, and he headed towards the pot, Will still hanging over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and Joyce plucked the boy from his father's grasp, planting a kiss on his forehead.

"And good morning, Will," Joyce tickled his side, inciting some of his lovely, excited laughter, before setting him down, and quickly saving the bacon before it could burn, "Did you sleep okay on the couch?" Joyce asked Spike, who was leaning against the counter, sipping from a mug, keeping half an eye on Will, who was wandering around the kitchen, looking at everything curiously, "I know it's not that comfortable..."

"S'fine, Joyce," Spike smiled at her reassuringly, "Believe me...after sleeping on pallets for so long, the couch was the same as grandmum's feather bed in comparison. 'Sides...just not waking up covered in sand is a bloody blessin' these days."

"Where sand?" Will ran over to his father and tugged on his jeans, "Where sand? Wanna play."

"No sand, mate," Spike scooped his son up, kissing his cheek, "And maybe if you're a good boy, mum might take you to the beach sometime soon, alright?"

He pouted, but nodded obediently and Spike sat him back down when he started to wriggle. The boy raced out of the kitchen and towards the stairs when they heard Buffy calling his name. "Don't run in the house!" Spike called after his child, rolling his eyes when he was ignored. "Or not."

"Wonder where he gets that from," Joyce said with a wink in the vampire's direction before gathering up the food and bringing it into the dining room just as Buffy came down the stairs with an overly excited four and a half year old. "Morning, honey..."

Buffy nodded, still looking a bit out of it, and Spike chuckled a bit at his tired mate before going up to her and kissing her cheek, "Mornin', luv," He greeted quietly, whispering in her ear, "Gods, I missed you last night..."

Buffy opened her eyes a little bit wider and smiled at him as he nuzzled her throat lovingly before going to sit down at the table Joyce had set up while Buffy collected Will and sat him on top of a chair with a phone book sat on top of it so that he could reach the table. Joyce watched in amusement as the child immediately shoved an unprepared pancake in his mouth, chewing on it happily, while both Spike and Buffy looked mildly embarrassed by the display. "Sorry, mom..." Buffy fidgeted as she sat down next to Spike, "We...weren't really big on the table manners back home...uh...back...at the island..."

"Like you were so much better when you were his age?" Joyce teased her daughter lightly, "You wouldn't use a fork till you were seven. Screamed every time we tried to teach you how to hold one and spear your food."

"Must've been fighting those Slayer tendencies early, uh, pet?" Spike said, receiving a swat on the arm from her, and he grinned in her direction before glancing towards Will, "Hey, mate...try to at least keep the mouth closed, huh?"

Will sealed his mouth shut, his face screwing up as he concentrated on chewing, and Spike chuckled as he prepared his own plate, Buffy already having attacked the bacon, with a mumbled, "Oh, God...real meat that isn't monkey..."

"Lovely breakfast, Joyce," He said sincerely, "Nice not to be doing the cooking for once..." He shot a pointed look at Buffy, who scrunched her nose up at him, with William imitating his mother rather well.

"Hey, you know the rules...you suck it dry, you cook it...and there was no way I was cooking monkey."

"You...ate monkeys?" Joyce stared at the two of them in surprise, and Buffy flushed while Spike looked somewhat sheepish.

However, Will wasn't shy about voicing his preferences, "Momkey yummy..." He rubbed his belly, shooting a crooked grin at Joyce, "Daddy saids it tastes like chikum."

"Chicken, love," Buffy corrected, and shrugged at her mother, "Actually, it kinda did. Go figure."

Joyce laughed and then jumped when the front door slammed open, and both Spike and Buffy hopped to their feet, eyes going wide, but Joyce waved at them to sit down again as the door closed and heavy, chunky footsteps headed towards them, "Relax," She told them as she stood herself, and calling, "Faith! How many times do I have to tell you that the door isn't made for kicking open?"

Buffy stood up again as Faith came into the dining room, wearing a wide grin, "Sorry, Joyce, and hey, B!" Faith immediately went towards the blond girl, surprising her by giving her a huge hug, "Man, it's been sooo dull around here without you!" She took a step back, keeping her hands on Buffy's shoulders and looking her over, "Still lookin' good, Buff...what kind of exercising where you doing in the middle of east bumblefuck?" She shot a look at Spike, who was watching the two girls dubiously, "Oh...rrriiggghhttt...you were playing the mattress Olympics big time, right?"

"Faith, little ears are present," Joyce admonished, "And grab a plate and sit down like normal person, for Goodness sakes."

Faith glanced towards William, who was watching his mother and the strange woman with wide eyes and she grinned at him before ruffling his hair as she passed by to go into the kitchen and grab a plate for herself, leaving Buffy to recover from the swift, welcome home attack from her sister-in-arms.

"What's...mattess oympics?" Will asked his father curiously, "Can I play it too?"

Spike choked on a piece of pancake, shooting a wide eyed glance at Buffy, who smirked in his direction as she took her seat again. "Um...well...Will...it's kinda..."

"Don't sweat it, kid," Faith appeared again, startling Spike as she threw herself into the seat beside the child, piling her plate up with food, and she nudged Will with a wink, "That's one of those things you don't find out till you're older...or discover HBO," She shot a look in Spike's direction, running her eyes over him, "Course, if you end up looking like your dad, you won't ever have to worry about attracting the hotties for a little gymnastics."

"Faith," Joyce said in a warning tone, "He's four years old...could you wait a little longer before you try and corrupt him?"

"Sorry," She looked genuinely sheepish when she caught Buffy's glare, apparently not liking the way Faith had been looking over her mate, "Relax, B...your man's safe with me. I just wanted to tease you a little...I kid because I love you," She offered her fellow Slayer a lopsided grin, "Can't wait till we're back together on the ass--eh..." She glanced at Will, who was watching her with wide, fascinated eyes, apparently already hanging onto every strange word out of her mouth, "Bum...kick brigade again...dam--darn it, that just doesn't sound as scary, does it? Anyway...Xander, Willow and Tara are all good with the helping on patrol...but it'll be really nice being able to go Slaying with someone who doesn't squeal like a girl...I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but that's just such a big turn-off."

Spike snickered at that, not having any trouble at all believing that Xander screamed like a girl, but then he blinked in surprise, looking up at Faith in confusion, "Wait...you...and the...whelp? You're...a...thing?"

"Sorta...we're kinda on the outs right now...I got pissed off when he went off again to look for B..." Faith glanced at Buffy, looking a bit ashamed, "Sorry...I didn't mean it like it sounded...but for the last six years, he left every summer and left me here to take care of everything...and I told him it was time to just...let it go...you weren't coming back...if I had known though..."

"Faith...it's fine," Buffy replied quietly, offering Faith a tiny smile, "You couldn't know. And believe me...I'd probably feel the same way if Spike kept on going off to look for a girl that had been missing and presumed dead for that long. I hope you guys work it out..."

"Oh, it's fine...just wear some tight clothes and pout at him, and all's good again," Faith replied, visibly heartened, "So...B...gettin' knocked up by the undead...that's pretty wild. How'd that happen?"

"Um...we're not exactly sure," Spike replied, still a little surprised that Xander of all people, was dating a Slayer. "S'not like we could do any research," He shook his head, "Don't know what the Watcher's more excited about...Buffy bein' back...or gettin' to find out how it's even possible for Will to exist."

"The G-man? It's the kid. If he gets to use books, he's way happy. Like a kid in a candy store...or...a librarian in a library."

Buffy smiled a tiny bit at that, remembering the long nights spent in the library at school, bent over his books, that sort of excited look on his face as he discovered new things, "Did they rebuild the library?" She asked curiously, "After we blew up the mayor and all?"

"Nope...they paved it over. The Hellmouth is now the parking lot of Doom. Eh...progress is hell on the Supernatural, I guess. No way for the demons to get at it," Her face fell a bit, "Actually, the Council was talking of sending me somewhere else, since Sunnydale isn't exactly the demon hotspot anymore, but Giles was able to convince them I was still needed here...but I guess since you're back now, they have no reason to keep me here anymore."

"Actually," Buffy fidgeted slightly, glancing at Spike, who took her hand and squeezed it, "I don't think I'm going back to Slaying."

Faith's head shot up at this, and Joyce raised an eyebrow, "You're not going back to Slaying, B? But....I thought it was your whole life or somethin'..."

"It was, not anymore," Buffy shook her head, "I have a child now...I want to be able to watch him grow up...and not worry about fighting for my damned life every night. I...I want my damned white picket fence...well, maybe not the picket fence, in case Spike accidentally trips on it...but you know what I mean. I haven't even seen a demon in six years..." Spike cleared his throat, giving her a look and she smiled at him, "Except for Spike...and he and Will...they're my whole life now. I want my child and I want my husband...and maybe more children one day, and a normal, nine to five job...and...and...dammit, I want a SUV that has no business being in the suburbs! With car seats and a 'My child ate your honor student' bumper sticker on the back!"

Joyce was smiling happily at the end of her little speech, Spike was unsurprised, Will had slid down off his seat and was sitting on the floor beneath the table, playing with Faith's untied shoelaces, and the dark-haired Slayer was staring at Buffy like she had grown another head...and a hideously ugly one at that.

"But...you can't just give up Slaying, Buff...it's in your blood and all that..."

"Yeah," Buffy replied softly, "I know it is...but that doesn't matter. Not anymore," She looked at Spike, and he smiled at her gently, "This is my life now, Faith...I'm sorry you're going to get stuck with the Slaying...I know it really isn't fair to you...but I just can't do it anymore."

Faith nodded slowly, watching the loving look exchanged between the blond couple, and the way Joyce was looking supremely blissful with her daughter's decision, "Hey, no skin off my nose...just means I won't get shipped off to...I don't know, Russia or something. But did you tell G-man yet? Cause he's going to go ballistic."

"Um...not so much...no. Not really. But if he does, he's just going to have to deal," She said firmly, "I won't be pressured into that life again. They stole my life when I was fifteen, for Godsakes...and the only way I could get my life back, was to be caught in a tidal wave and be trapped on a desert island like freakin' Gilligan...how pathetic is that?! The Council isn't about saving people's lives or even the world...it's about a bunch of fat, old white men sitting on their butts and waiting for a couple girl-children to pull their asses out of the fire. Not anymore."

"Viva la revolution, huh, B?" Faith looked particularly delighted by Buffy's little rebellion, "Gotta admit, I'm on board, but mostly just to see the look on Travers' face when you tell him to take this job and shove it straight up his super-glue sealed as--rear end." Spike chuckled, and Faith glanced at him, raising an eyebrow, "What about your little boy-toy here? He's not going to be misbehavin', will he? I know you're not slaying anymore, but if he touches the people in my town..."

"Nah, he's successfully whipped," Buffy teased her mate, nudging him with her elbow when he growled at her, and then replied sincerely, "He's changed too, Faith. I trust him with my life."

Spike smiled at her and kissed her cheek before whispering something in her ear, and Faith raised an eyebrow when she saw Buffy flush suddenly. Joyce smiled as she stood up to start clearing the table, "I'll leave you kids to catch up," She told them, "Buffy? Is it all right if I take Will with me to the mall? I want to pick him up some more clothes, and I'm afraid I don't have very many toys for boys in the house. Plus, I got four years of birthdays, Christmases, Easters, and just plain old grandmother spoiling to make up for."

Buffy glanced at Spike, who shrugged a tiny bit, and Buffy bent, picking her son off the floor and settling him on her lap, "I guess that's okay...you be good for grandma, okay, honey?"

He nodded, but it was with a wicked gleam in his eye that always reminded her of Spike, and Buffy shook her head before setting him on his feet.

"Oh, and Spike, I need your clothing sizes...I noticed you don't have anything to sleep in, and I don't want you to be wearing Xander's clothes for very much longer," Joyce told him, pulling him to his feet, and drawing him out of the room to leave the girls alone together to catch up. She ignored his protests, insisting that she had to spoil him too, and Spike shot a desperate look over his shoulder at Buffy and Faith, but they only smirked and waved bye.

Buffy giggled, getting to her feet and she and Faith moved to the living room and plopped down on the couch together, and Buffy looked at Faith, smiling a tiny bit, "You've been keeping my mom company, haven't you?" She asked, having noted that her mother's chastisement and Faith's sheepishness seemed to be normal between them.

"Well...uh..." Faith shifted, and then grinned almost shyly, "She kept on bringing me dinner on patrol, since she said she was sure I wasn't eating anything but junk food, 'cause I was with Xander so much...and she helped me out, a lot. She got me a job at the gallery, and even co-signed a car for me, so I wouldn't have to walk all over the place all the time, and so that I could get to LA when Angel needed help. Helped me pick out an apartment and get furniture for it and everything," Faith smiled, glancing down at her hands, "And...uh...she made sure I got health insurance through the gallery, since the Council doesn't provide it for me anymore."

"You quit the Council?"

"Not exactly...they tried to deport Giles a couple years back, since they were pretty much paying for him to stay here, even though he had quit...told them I would quit too if they did that, and told them if that they were so strapped for money, they could cut my benefits and that would cover the cost of keeping him here. They agreed...and well..." Faith shrugged, "It's not so bad, actually. I mean, your mom's way understanding if I'm too beat up to show up for work, and it's really nice not having to explain how the black eye I have is not because my boyfriend beat me up. As if Xander even could. She's really been there for me, B..."

"And you've been there for her too," Buffy leaned forward, catching the dark-haired girl in a tight hug, surprising her slightly, "Thank you..." Buffy pulled away, smiling a tiny bit, tears standing in her eyes, "I know...when I left, we kinda weren't on the best terms...what with you switching sides like that...and when I was on the island, I kept thinking about how I told you I wouldn't trust you again because of what you did...and how I never told you how proud I was that you had the strength to come back to us...even if you thought we'd all hate you...and even when I was all hostile towards you about the Angel thing..."

"Hey...it was my fault...I shouldn't have..."

"No...no, it's okay...I've already forgiven you...and I can see that you've...changed a lot in six years too..." Buffy smiled at her wanly, "A lots changed while I've been gone...but I just wanted to thank you for keeping my mom safe for me...after I ran to LA the one time, she almost fell apart....and this had to be way worse for her...thinking I was dead...or that I would be stuck on an island for the rest of my life...not knowing that I was safe and happy...it had to have been killing her..."

"It was," Faith replied softly, "It was way hard for her...I wasn't much of a replacement, but I guess I was something...but now that you're back..."

"Nothing's going to change," Buffy said firmly, "Mom just doesn't love someone less because there's a bunch of new people to love..." Buffy grinned then, "Of course, we're going to have to start competing with Will for attention sometimes...cause he's got the cute kid and grandson edge working for him. How are we supposed to beat that?"

"Speaking of cute guys," Faith winked at her, nudging her, "So...you and William the Bloody...I can just see Giles polishing his glasses till they're worn away to nothing but powder."

"He was surprisingly way okay with it," Buffy replied, "Xander was being a total dick though. Angel too..."

"Angel? You ran into Angel?"

"Ugh...he was at the airport. As soon as we got to the hotel, he wanted to talk about...'my choices' and how Spike was a cold-blooded killer who couldn't love anybody. Pretty much called me an idiot for loving him."

Faith whistled, "Did you hit him? I sooo would have hit him."

"Nope, just shoved him out into the hall and told him the 'Angel Angst Hour' was over."

Faith started to crack up, "Oh God, I could just see his face when you said that!"

Buffy giggled, "He wasn't happy, that was for sure...he actually changed facial expressions for a second."

That only made Faith laugh even more, "Oh, man, it must've been better then when Willow told Xander she was gay!" Faith replied, swiping at some tears that ran down her face.

Buffy snickered, picturing his face when Willow told him she was..."WILLOW'S GAY!?"

 

"Hmmm...God..." Buffy sighed, closing her eyes and stretching her arms over her head languidly, "This is heaven..."

Spike chuckled as he shifted onto his side, pressing his lips against her tanned breast, "Sentiment's appreciated..."

Buffy cracked an eye open, "I meant the actual having sex in a real bed and not worrying about splinters or palm frond burn," She corrected, smiling as he pouted and closed her eye again, "Oh...and the mom babysitting while we have the whole house to ourselves..." She 'mmm-ed' when he tickled her stomach, "Okay...and the sex is pretty heavenly too..."

"You just like the bein' able to scream without worrying about the kid in the other room," Spike teased her lightly, still stroking her warm, sweat-slicked skin, "Gotta say...missed that myself..."

She rolled her eyes beneath her eyelids, stretching again, and Spike watched as the muscles played beneath her skin, smoothly flowing, and he growled before attacking a rose-colored nipple, worrying it with his teeth, making her squeak in surprise at the attack. He shifted his weight back on top of her as he suckled her breast, and she moaned softly as she let her legs fall open, bending her knees so that they were pressed against his side and tried to urge him forward. "Hmmm...more..."

"Patience, luv...think we got all bloody afternoon," He muttered, rubbing his semi-hard cock against her lower body, and ran his hands up along her arms till he clasped her hands in his own. "Just wanna play for awhile."

She opened her eyes and smiled up at him, "Play away," She replied coyly, dropping her knees from his side and spreading her legs open for him, enjoying the almost tortured look that crossed his face at her words. He dropped his head towards her, and drew her into a slow, sweet kiss, their tongues sliding together wetly. He then kissed along her jaw and proceeded to lick and suck at her throat till she wriggled beneath him with a small, tiny mewls, and pulling at her entrapped hands in order to try and touch him.

"Shhh...shhh..." He purred soothingly near her ear, "Not goin' anywhere, pet..."

"Less talk, more play," She ordered breathlessly, and he laughed as she managed to free one hand and shoved his head down. He immediately went to the playground of her breasts, roughly nipping and sucking, his hands firmly kneading them, his hips undulating against hers, pressing his hardness into her, but never entering her. She started to move with him, following his movements as they mimed the act of sex, craving the feel of him against her, inside her. "Spike..."

He smiled as he started to kiss down her body, his hands never leaving her flushed breasts, his fingers pulling and pinching at her hard nipples, palms applying constant, rolling pressure to her soft breasts. She arched into him when his mouth reached her naval, where he started to tease her, flicking his tongue into her belly-button and nibbling at the soft swell of her stomach.

"Spike!" She lifted her head to glare at him when he spent way too much time in that particular area, and he looked up at her, grinning wickedly before suddenly removing his hands away from her breasts and sliding it beneath her ass, squeezing the firm cheeks before lifting her hips up and attacking her center with a loud growl.

She squealed when he suddenly changed his foreplay from gentle and teasing to voracious and hard, his tongue stabbing inside of her, his nose pressing hard against her clit. He continued to growl loudly, the vibrations of his tongue and mouth driving her nearly insane with want, and then she was screaming, her thighs clamping around his head, body arching off the bed and into him. The sudden movement upset his position on the single bed, and then he was falling backwards onto the ground, pulling Buffy with him, never letting go of her hips. She landed on her knees and fell forward onto her hands, panting so hard it was almost painful.

The sudden change of position only served to faze Spike for half a second before he renewed his attack and Buffy was shouting his name once again, and began to ride against his face, drenching it with her release. He didn't release her till he felt her come for the fifth time, and only because he felt her knees beginning to buckle, and then he rolled her over, immediately plunging inside her, and she shuddered around him, screaming his name again as she came just with the sensation of his hard cock stabbing inside her.

She dug her fingers into his shoulders, hips arching off the floor to meet his fevered, hard thrusts, their eyes boring into each other. Grunts were forced from his lips as he pounded into her, and Buffy was only vaguely aware of the carpet burning into her back as her back rubbed back and forth against it, her eyes intent on his and her entire body swept up in their love-making.

"Spike...God...yes...harder..." She panted out, and his mouth turned up in an almost painful grin as he gripped her hips in his hands, and sat up, changing the position on her suddenly. Buffy hissed out his name, eyes finally closing as she thrashed her head back and forth on the floor as he slammed into her with all his powerful strength behind him, their pelvises slamming together with enough force to bruise.

She felt him tense up, and opened her eyes, staring up at him dazedly as his back went rigid, and he fell forward onto his hands, his thrusts intensifying as he vamped out with a low snarl as he started to come. Buffy's hand came up and wrapped around the back of his neck, drawing his head down to her throat, and she screamed, loud and long, as his fangs pierced her flesh, several, potent orgasms ripped through her body, one after another, "Oh...God...SPPPIIKKEEE!" She screeched his name, her nails ripping into the flesh of his back, and he came hard at the sudden explosion of pain and pleasure, roaring her name, the sound of it echoing off the walls and its piercing intensity probably reaching out through the neighborhood.

He collapsed to her side, spread-eagle on the floor in a similar position to Buffy, both of them looking delightfully boneless and out of breath. "Holy Christ..." Spike panted out heavily, turning his head with some effort towards his mate, "That was..."

"Completely and utterly amazing?" Buffy replied between her own hard breathing, "Really agreeing right here..." She tried to lift her arm, unsuccessfully. "Just don't ask me to move...or to sit down anytime soon."

Spike let out a tired chuckle, and rolled onto his side, burrowing his face into Buffy's sweat-dampened hair and inhaling her scent blissfully, lazily draping an arm across her stomach and closing his eyes, "Hmmm...m'beautiful girl..." He cracked an eye open when he heard the door slam open downstairs, and shoved himself up into a sitting position just as the door to Buffy's room was kicked open, and Buffy screamed, scrambling to her feet and diving behind her bed, leaving Spike to defend himself bare-assed naked.

Spike snarled, about to pounce when he sniffed the air and sat back on his haunches, "Dammit, Harris! What in the bloody HELL is your PROBLEM!? KNOCK!"

"You were killing Buffy!" Xander held up his large crucifix, pointing into in Spike's direction, "We heard her screaming coming up the walk! Where is she?! Did you hide the body!? You are soooo dead!"

"ALEXANDER HARRIS!" Faith stomped up to her boyfriend and grabbed the crucifix out of his hand, "You are such an ass sometimes," She glanced at Spike, apparently unfazed by his nudity as he was, the vampire standing up and crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at them, "Sorry...he can run pretty fast when he wants too."

"Hey!" Buffy peeked her head over the top of the bed, "Spike! Pants! And Xander! Get out!"

"You're not dead!"

"Of course she's not dead, you bloody twit!" Spike snapped as he found his pants and jerked them on.

"But...I heard her screaming..." Xander looked confused, "It sounded like you were killing her!"

"Xander, they're both naked and you heard screaming...how much of a mystery is this NOT?! Jeez...she's barely back home a day and you're already busting in on her and her hottie and not letting her get her cookies."

"Cookies? What cookies?"

"Oh...son of a bitch..." Faith rolled her eyes, offering Spike and Buffy an apologetic look, "Sorry, guys...I'm taking him downstairs and explaining the birds and the bees and how the brat came to be," She winked at them, "You guys finish up here and I'll make sure he doesn't interrupt again," She said, leading a heavily protesting Xander out, but glanced over her shoulder, looking Spike up and down, eyes lingering at his crotch, "Oh, and Spike...nice...chest."

Buffy grabbed a pillow off her bed, and Faith laughed as she ducked out the door before the thrown bedding could hit her, "Have fun, kiddies!"

"Okay...startin' to bloody remember why I really hated civilization," Spike growled as he found his t-shirt and pulled it on, watching mournfully while Buffy dressed as well, "A whole bloody afternoon, just you an' me...ruined by the whelp. Why can I see this swiftly becoming a habit?"

"Tell me about it," Buffy growled, pulling her hair back with one of her old scrunchies, "We so need our own place...I think mom made this place into Scooby Central Station. Everyone's got a damned key."

"Yeah, well," Spike sighed, "She'll probably be home with Will soon...guess it's better they interrupted us rather then your mum...don't really want to scar my son for life yet...and I'm pretty sure your mum still keeps that ax beneath her bed for exactly like moments like this."

"I don't know," Buffy went up to him and wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head against his chest, "She ordered a new bed frame and mattress for my room...king size...so, I think she's kinda expecting us to stay for awhile...and she's clearing out the guest room for Will. I'm guessing she already knows her daughter's going to want to be naughty with her mate."

"Guess we can stay for a bit," Spike conceded, smiling down at her, "Like your mum, anyway, and she probably wants to be close to you and Will for as long as possible."

"Hey," She leaned up to plant a firm kiss on his lips, "She wants to get close to you too, buddy. She just doesn't buy clothes for anybody."

"Yeah, I'm the guy who knocked up her poor, innocent daughter..." Spike laughed as she swatted his arm, "Yeah, okay, she likes me...probably waiting for the right time to whip out the shot gun and ride my ass to church."

"Huh? Why would she want you to go to church?" Buffy asked in confusion, and Spike sighed.

"Never mind, lovely," He nuzzled her throat affectionately, "You're just so cute sometimes."

"Huh...how come you always say that when I don't understand what you're talking about? Is that your way of calling me a dumb blonde? It is, isn't it? I finally broke the code."

Spike laughed, swatting her behind and giving her a shove towards the door, "Come on...the whelp's probably downstairs, having an embolism...and I want to see it before his brain pops and leaks out of his ears."

"Sadist," Buffy replied, smiling at him as he took her hand and they head downstairs together, joining Faith and Xander in the living room, only to see that Willow and some blond girl Buffy didn't recognize was there as well; both girls were blushing furiously, the one girl's head bowed so that her hair hung in her face, and Willow was looking everywhere but at them.

"Bloody hell...did anyone NOT hear us?" Spike asked, and Buffy elbowed him as Faith snickered, Xander paled, and Willow and the girl that Buffy had guessed must be Tara blushed even more, "Ow! What?"

"Tact, darling...work on it."

"Me?! Who's the one bustin' down the door when I'm trying too...OW!"

"You done?"

"Fine," Spike groused, plopping down on a chair and pulling Buffy down to his lap as he did so, and she made herself comfortable, ignoring the stares and Faith's smirk as she did so.

"What's up, guys?" Buffy asked, eyeing them a bit warily. She was wishing they had given her a few days to settle in before coming over for bonding time, save for Faith, who she had enjoyed talking too. For some reason, she felt more easy around Faith, since she seemed the most comfortable around Spike, easily exchanging teasing back and forth with him, never taking anything he said personally, like the other Scoobies did. He had threatened to make her into a snack for teasing him about being Slayer-whipped. She had only snorted and replied that he would be a lot more threatening if he wasn't drawing rainbows and fish with a four-year-old and a box of Crayolas.

If he had said that with any other Scooby in the room, the stakes would have been out faster then she could say 'big pile of dust.'

"Faith told me you aren't going to be slaying anymore," Xander snipped out, throwing an accusatory look at Spike, as if this was all his fault, and Faith looked apologetically at Buffy.

"Sorry...I didn't think he'd freak out like that...and personally, I thought the SUV speech with the 'my kid ate your honor student' bumper sticker was kinda worth repeating," She said, shrugging her shoulders sheepishly, and Buffy sighed.

"It's okay, Faith," She gave Xander a look, "But of course, you felt the need to rush over here right away and get on my case about my decision, right?" She threw a pointed look at Willow and the new girl, "And you brought someone I haven't even met yet for the chewing out?"

"Um...we...were kinda on our way up when we met up with him," Willow supplied meekly, and then caught Spike's raised eyebrow at the girl beside her, "Oh! Um...Buffy...this...is...uh..." The girl lifted her head, pinning Willow with a look, and she began to stammer, "Uh...a lot's kinda changed in the last couple years...and um...I don't want to shock you or anything...but...um..."

"Tara, right?" Spike interrupted Willow's babbling, and the blonde girl glanced towards him, smiling a bit shyly, "Spike...lovely to meet you. Your girlfriend's a basket-case, you realize?"

Tara's smile bloomed even more as Buffy laughed, burrowing her face in Spike's neck as Willow stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing like a great big fish, "Nice to meet you," She said softly, "And...yes...sometimes she is..."

"I...I...um...how'd you..." Willow's eyes widened, "Oh! It's cause...of the smell thing, right? So...you can smell...um...us...?" Tara's blush returned in full force, and Faith took pity on the girl.

"Sorry, Wills...it kinda slipped out this morning," Faith replied, "I kinda thought she knew."

"Oh!" Willow looked relieved, "So, you can't smell..." Spike's eyebrow remained raised and she blushed again, "Oh...okay...not wanting to know now."

"Are we done with the unsuccessful coming out?" Xander asked in annoyance, "I really want to go back to the no Slaying thing."

"Which is really none of your bloody business," Spike replied coolly, "I think you ought to learn to keep out of things that don't concern you, whelp."

"Thank YOU!" Faith threw her arms in the air, "That's what I keep telling the idiot!"

"Faith! Boyfriend! Supposed to be backing me up here."

"Honey, I'll back you up anytime you want...except when you're wrong and being completely stupid about it," Faith replied sweetly.

"This so does concern me!" Xander snapped, looking back at Buffy and Spike, "We spent six years looking for you, Buffs...and we finally find you...hooked up with that...thing..."

"Oh, I get it...you found me...and so I'm obligated to do whatever you want me to do. Which, in this case, apparently, means abandon my mate and love of my life, pretend I don't have a son to live for, and go out and Slay so that you can say, 'Oh, I saved Buffy from a fate worse then death, kept her away from that nasty vampire that protected loved and provided for her for the last six years, and gave her a beautiful, sweet child that she loves more then anything in this world and the next.' All so I can go back to fighting demons that want to kill me nightly and deprive my child of a mother when one fucking demon gets lucky!? Excuse me when I say no, thanks, I'll pass on that."

"So, Faith should do it all alone because you're being stubborn?!"

"Oh, don't even bring me into this!" Faith glared at her boyfriend, "I can take care of myself and as far as Buffy is concerned, I think her job's done. She already died, and another Slayer was called. That's the way it works. She's not required to fight anymore, and I pretty much agree with her! She's got a kid now, Xander...I think he's a little more important then your stupid ego being bruised because Buffy's shacked up with another vampire." She stood up abruptly and crossed over to Buffy, throwing her arms around the blond and giving her a big squeeze, and then gave a hug to Spike as well, "I think you're doing the right thing, B, and don't let the idiot over there convince you two otherwise. You're right, that isn't your life anymore, and it's not fair to ask you to go back to it. Besides," She gave Xander a pointed glare, "I think Joyce has lost her daughter way too many times already. I don't think the woman deserves to go through that sort of hell ever again...let alone be able to survive it." She then turned and stalked out, and Xander glared at Spike...or maybe it was Buffy as well, before running after his girlfriend, calling her name, leaving Tara, Willow, Buffy and Spike sitting in somewhat awkward silence.

Finally, Buffy cleared her throat, glancing towards the couple, "So...um...gay now...that's pretty...um...wow."

 

"God...look at all this stuff..." A line appeared between Buffy's eyebrows, "Do we really need this junk?"

"I think a car seat's pretty important," Spike replied, "You know...if we don't want our son to go flying into the windshield every time you tap the damn brakes."

"Okay, car seat, I know we need, smart ass," Buffy glanced towards her mother, who was standing nearby with Faith and Will, practically gushing over the clothing for toddlers, "Mom?" Joyce glanced over, holding a ducky t-shirt in front of Will, and Spike visibly winced at the neon blue shirt, "Isn't Will a little big for a carriage?"

"He's only four, Buffy...his little legs will get tired if you make him walk all over the place."

"Yeah, but that's what I have Spike for."

"Funny, pet," Spike rolled his eyes, "And I'm not going to do you much good during the little day excursions, now will I? And Joyce...for the love of God...nothing remotely pastel or neon colored is going on my son."

"That's what I said," Faith seconded the motion, holding up her own selection, a small, black t-shirt with white lettering that said 'Party...my crib...2 AM.'

Spike grinned, giving her the thumbs up while Joyce and Buffy rolled their eyes.

"You two are no help whatsoever," Buffy said, sighing as she turned back to the selection of baby products, "So much easier to just let him run around naked."

"Yeah, but I don't think his preschool teacher will appreciate that very much," Joyce replied, moving beside Buffy, "You're definitely going to need the car seat. And you need the carriage so you can take him out, since you don't drive."

"Okay..." Buffy frowned slightly, looking over the myriad selection of car seats and baby carriages, "Oh God...choices...so many choices."

"Well, at least we don't have to buy a crib," Spike replied, "There's an entire wing devoted to those bloody things."

Buffy frowned at that, glancing towards Will, who Faith was currently dangling upside down by his feet and swing him back and forth like a pendulum, "What if he falls out of the new bed, though? He did before sometimes, but that didn't matter, since it was like...a four inch drop to the floor...now it's like...twenty feet to someone his size."

"Chairs around the bed," Spike replied right away, earning a surprised look from Joyce, "Didn't have a crib, and my big sister sometimes kicked me out of bed when she was sleeping...couple chairs around it kept me from falling."

"So, you were dropped on your head as a child," Faith said, still swinging a delighted Will around, "Why am I totally not surprised?"

"Ha bloody ha. And what's your excuse?"

"Juvie all the way, baby," Faith replied with a grin, "Eleven through fifteen...that's where I earned all my damage."

"Lovely...and we let her near our son, why?"

"Because, compared to you, she's Mother Theresa?" Buffy suggested sweetly before swatting his arm, "Now concentrate. Which car seat?"

"They all serve the same bloody function, right? Just get the cheapest one and be done with it..." Spike frowned when all three women went rigid and stared at him as if he had just announced he had eaten the entire Royal family, "Wot?"

"Just get the cheapest one and be done with it?" Buffy repeated, still gaping at him, "This is our son's life we're talking about here, Spike! You...just can't strap him into any old thing and expect him to survive the ride home!!"

"Um...isn't the basic function of a bloody car seat to get him home alive?" Spike asked in confusion, "Why wouldn't it work?"

"The beauty of American made products manufactured in Taiwan, Spike," Faith answered, "They're all pretty much bound to not work."

"Great...why don't we just strap him down with duct tape...beautiful invention. Never failed me before."

"Okay, next time, we leave the male at home while we go baby shopping," Buffy groused, "They're sooo not any help."

"Oh...bloody hell..." Spike sighed as he took Will from Faith, "Tell you what. You birds do the shoppin' thing, me an' Will are going to head down to the Hot Topic and look at tongue gauges."

"Okay," Buffy resumed staring at the millions of car seats lining the wall, while Joyce frowned.

"Tongue gauges?"

"Never too early to start the boy's body piercing education," Spike replied lightly, and Buffy started at that.

"He is NOT getting a body piercing!"

"Well, not right bloody now, he isn't! Give me some credit, woman. Geez."

"Why don't you take him down to Baby Gap and find him some clothing?" Joyce suggested and Spike stared at her as if she had gone completely insane.

"The day I bloody well step into any Gap of my own free will…will be the day that Satan damn well takes up ice fishing."

"I don't know...crew neck sweater...pair of khakis, could look pretty yummy on you," Faith teased with an evil look on her face, and Buffy turned to gaze at Spike thoughtfully.

"No." Spike said firmly, and glared at Faith, "And don't you be puttin' those nasty thoughts in her head, girl." Faith snickered at his expense, but then took pity on him when Buffy continued to look over Spike like he was her personal 'Dress Me Up' doll.

"Hey, B!" She snapped her fingers in front of Buffy , drawing her attention away from Spike, "I'll take the brat to Baby Gap. Gotta protect the goods, right?"

"What?" Buffy asked in confusion, and Faith rolled her eyes, gesturing at Spike.

"Set him loose in the mall with that kid and no wedding ring? He'll be pulled down by every desperate woman in Sunnydale. Like lions on a wounded gazelle."

"Oh, come on...you can't be ser--" Spike glanced towards Buffy, frowning slightly when he saw the look on her face, "Luv? You're really not buying into this, right?"

"She's got a point," Buffy replied, shrugging somewhat sheepishly, and Spike rolled his eyes, kissing the top of Will's head before handing him off to Faith.

"Anything happens to him, and I will hurt you...slowly...painfully...with lots of sharp objects, got that, Slayer?" He threatened Faith in a low voice, but the dark-haired girl only rolled her eyes, not at all taking him seriously.

"I'm quaking with fear on the inside, Blondie...really, I am."

Buffy giggled at the crest-fallen look on his face before planting a kiss on his cheek and slapping his backside, "Stop worrying so much. Nothing's going to happen in the stupid mall..." Spike raised an eyebrow, and Buffy amended her statement hastily, "Again. Nothing's going to happen in the stupid mall again. Just relax, Faith's a Slayer anyway. He'll just be as safe with her as he is with us."

"Fine, fine," Spike grumbled, ruffling Will's hair and offering his son a big grin, "Be good for Faith, all right, kid?"

Will pouted, shaking his head, "Go with you!" He demanded, but Spike shook his head.

"Have fun with Faith," Spike told him firmly, and then leaned forward, adding in a whisper, "Be a good boy and we'll stop and get you a cookie, all right?"

"Spike!" Buffy turned towards her mate, giving him a look, and he grinned sheepishly.

"See you ladies later," He saluted the group before beating a hasty retreat, escaping from Buffy's impending lecture. Faith snickered as Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Spike's disappearing back.

"All right, B, me and Will are outtie," Faith said, and Buffy nodded.

"How about we meet at the food court in about an hour?" Joyce suggested, digging into her purse and pulling out a credit card to hand to Faith, "You sure you'll be okay getting him clothes?"

"Hey, as long as he keeps the wriggling down to a minimum, I'm five by five," Faith replied, "Food court, hour, catch ya guys later."

"Have fun," Buffy called after them before turning back to the task before them, her nose scrunching up, "Okay...back to the car seats," She sighed, "Yay. Fun."

 

Faith wrinkled her nose, shaking her head as she held up a pair of small khakis, and glanced down at Will, who was standing next to her, looking completely bored out of his mind, "Yeah, kid...I know what you're thinking," She replaced the khakis on the display rack, "I can't believe it. They're starting the preppie conformity pretty early on."

"Peppie comormity?" Will repeated, looking up at Faith in confusion, "What that?"

"Um..." Faith bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, "Forget it, not important."

Will looked a little frustrated as she turned back to the clothing, picking up a dark blue t-shirt, "Hmmm...this might actually match your eyes. Technically, it's color, so Buffy will like it, and close enough to black to appease Spike..." She turned and knelt beside Will, and held it up against his body, but he tried to shove it away from him. "Hey, come on, Will...I have to see if this thing will fit you or not..."

Will shook his head, "Don't like it," He complained, and Faith sighed.

"Fine, what do you like?" She straightened as he moved across the store, towards the girl's section. She could barely keep from laughing as she went to collect him.

"Pretty," He pointed at a small, pink, frilly dress.

"Oh, no way in hell. There's absolutely now way I'd ever be able to explain that to your dad without him blowing a brain fuse, kid." He looked disappointed, but allowed Faith to lead him away.

"Can I help you?" Faith looked up, eyebrow raising when she saw the cute guy with the nametag.

"Um...yeah, maybe," Faith glanced down at Will, "We're having a difference in opinion. He wants dresses, but I think he's a little young to be exploring alternate lifestyle choices."

The guy kneeled down in front of Will, grinning, "What's wrong, kid? Your mom doesn't want you to wear dresses?"

"Oh, God, I'm not his mom," Faith broke in, "I'm a friend of the family's. Just buying him some clothes."

"Oh, sorry...it's hard to tell these days. Mothers are getting younger and younger every year," The guy grinned at Faith, "I'm Andrew."

"Faith," She smiled at him, "But yeah, I can probably use some help..."

"Okay, great," Andrew smiled, "Well, you'd probably want to just stick to shorts and t-shirts, since its still summer. Is he still in diapers?"

"Nope. Kid was potty-trained pretty early."

"Okay, so then I'd suggest shorts with elastic bands. Easier for him to pull down when he needs to go," Andrew suggested, "And I'd stay away from the khakis, unless he needs something nice to wear. Kid will just destroy it otherwise."

"Wow," Faith smiled, leaning agaisnt the rack, "You really know your shit."

Andrew shrugged, "I've worked here all summer. You have no idea how many times I hear questions like this."

Will fidgeted next to Faith, growing bored with the adults talking to each other and pretty much ignoring him. He started to twirl around in a circle, till he grew dizzy and a bit nauseous. He stopped, but staggered a few feet, trying to catch his bearings. He shook his head, and then looked up excitedly, catching a glimpse of a bleach-blond head just passing by the entrance. He glanced back at Faith, who was still talking with Andrew, and then started towards the entrance. He glanced around outside, and then started to run in the direction he had seen the blond going, going as fast as his little legs would carry him.

However, he stopped by the fountain in the middle of the mall, turning around in a circle, and then a grin surfaced on his face when he saw the blond near the payphones. He started towards him, but then the blond turned around. It was a kid with a pinched, rat-like face, his ears pierced with a least ten piercings for each one. Will stopped his approach, feeling a thread of panic run through his small body.

Tears filled his wide, blue eyes as he looked around him, trying to find a familiar face in the sea of people moving around him, and he sniffled as the tears began to fall. He wanted his mommy and daddy.

"Hey, kid," Will turned as a man with thinning, brown hair knelt down next to him, laying a hand on the child's shoulder, "What's wrong? Lose your mom and dad?"

Will nodded, still crying, and eyeing the man with the somewhat dirty face a bit warily. He didn't smell right to the little boy; he was kind of stinky, and he smelled like the stuff his dad drank sometimes, but a lot stronger.

"How about we find them, huh, kid?" The man straightened, taking Will's hand, and started leading him towards one of the exits, "I think I saw them around here."

"You did?" Will looked ahead expectantly, squinting his eyes a bit. There were several ladies with hair like his mom walking around, but they didn't look like her, "Don't see 'em..."

"They're probably outside, waiting for you, to take you home. Let's go look, all right, kid?"

Will finally nodded, letting the man lead him on. "Okay...daddy said he was going to get me a cookie..."

"I'm sure he's already got it for you. We just have to find him first."

 

"Oh God, oh God..." Faith ran up and down the mall three times already, upstairs and downstairs, a panicked look on her face. She practically barreled down a group of teenaged girls, giggling in the middle of the aisle. She was in too much in a hurry to apologize, and she didn't even respond when they called her a bitch for nearly knocking them over.

She had her imminent death to worry about at the moment. Which was sure to be forthcoming when she told Spike and Buffy she had lost their only child. Which, they wouldn't have to know about, if she found him first. She practically pounced on a little blond boy walking by, only to be smacked upside the head by a panicked mother.

"Sorry!" Faith held up her hands, shooting the woman a look, "I'm sorry...it's...I lost my friend's kid...he looked like him..." Faith was moving on already, calling the last over her shoulder, trying to ignore the stricken look on the woman's face. Yes, she was a horrible, mean, despicable person for losing a child in the middle of a crowded mall.

"Hey!"

Faith skidded to a stop, closing her eyes, and trying not to let out a frustrated scream as Spike came out of the Hot Topic, holding a small bag, and he was grinning, "Think Buffy'll let me put up my Ramones' poster in her room?" His grin faded when he saw the look on her face, his eyes narrowing, "Where's my son?"

"Um...okay...before you panic..." Faith winced when Spike's fingers were suddenly digging into her arms, and he was shaking her roughly as he shouted at her.

"WHERE'S MY SON, FAITH?!"

"I'm sorry!" She practically wailed, "I only turned my back for a second!"

"You LOST HIM!?" Spike snarled, the bones in his face shifting, but he didn't actually vamp out, but it was a close thing, as his eyes flashed yellow, "How could you have LOST HIM?!"

"I'm sorry!"

Spike growled, shoving her away from him, giving her a look of disgust, "Go find Buffy. Now."

"Spike..."

"NOW!" He snapped at her, whirling around and charging down the mall, and Faith bit her lips, trying to stave off the tears she wanted to shed, desperately. She glanced ahead, seeing Spike near the fountain, stalking around it, head bowed, and then she saw his head jerk softly, a look of pure fear crossing his features as he started to follow his son's scent traces and started towards the exit.

Faith turned and started to run for the food court.

 

Goddamn little brat...the man grimaced as he dragged Will after him, the little boy starting to put up a fuss. "Where mom and dad?" He complained in a loud, annoying little voice, even while he sniffled and cried those big tears. "I want my mommy and daddy!"

"Shut up, you little shit," The man snapped at him, glancing around the nearly empty parking lot. His van was parked near the shadows beneath the trees at the very end, where people were least likely to notice it. He just had to get the little brat there, and he was home free.

"My daddy's gonna be mad..." Will warned him, rubbing his little hand beneath his nose, crying out when the mean man jerked on his arm roughly.

"I said shut up!"

"Don't like you," Will complained beneath his breath, trying to pull away, "Your mean."

"Goddamn fucking little kids," The man cuffed Will behind the head, "SHUT UP!"

"My daddy...when he get mad, he get all bumpy," Will made his best little 'grrr' face, hooking his free hand near his chin, "He gonna be mad..."

"I don't give a fuck about your daddy," He spat out, breathing a sigh of relief when they reached the van. However, Will decided not to be passive anymore, and sank his teeth into his hand. He yanked his hand back with a shout, and then struck the child, sending him reeling against the van. Will tripped, and he started to wail when he hit his head against the wheel-well, the skin on his forehead splitting over and blood started to roll down his face and into his right eye.

"SHUT UP!" The man hit Will again and again till the little brat stopped crying, and he glared down at the small body sprawled on the ground as he threw open the door to the van, and grabbed him by one arm and tossed him inside. "Fucking kids..."

He started to close the door, pausing when the door made a strange, rumbling sound, and he opened the door again, listening to it closely. He shook his head and closed the door, and frowned when the rumbling continued. "What in the fuck...?" He turned and glanced around into the shadows, his heart nearly stopping in his chest when he saw two points of amber-fire rushing him.

Steel crumbled beneath his body as he was slammed into the passenger side door of his van with enough force to knock the breath out of his lungs. The last thought he had before he felt razor sharp claws rip through his throat and chest, was that the boy was right. His daddy did get bumpy when angry.

 

Oh, God...my baby...my little baby...my tiny little baby...

Buffy tried not to let the panic beating with her racing heart show on her face. She had to be strong. She had to be brave...for her baby, for her little, tiny son. However, even while her face was set in a hard, determined mask, her mind was screaming at her to do something, anything, her child was in danger.

"I'm sorry, Buffy, you can't believe how sorry I am..."

Buffy's head was pounding as she, Joyce and Faith headed out into the parking lot, where Faith had seen Spike running towards. Her mind was also telling her to turn around and punch Faith in the face the next time she apologized. However, she managed to squash the urge. Barely.

Buffy looked around the lot, not seeing Spike or her son, and then tensed when she heard a scream, which was abruptly cut off seconds later. She was running before she could even register a single thought, her blood roaring in her ears, adrenaline racing through her veins. Somewhere, in the back of her consciousness, she knew it wasn't her little boy, but panic had firmly set itself in.

She heard Faith keeping pace with her, both of them running all out, leaving Joyce far behind.

Soon, there neared the end of the parking lot, and Buffy felt like screaming when she saw nothing, but shadows, but then Faith grabbed her arm, and was dragging her to the side. She glanced in that direction, seeing the lone van, set way back beneath some trees, and then she saw her mate, covered in blood, head bowed over Will's small, tiny body. He looked up at them as they approached, his game face, pain plainly written across it.

She felt like screaming as she dropped down beside him, and grabbed her son out of his arms, gathering him into hers. She very nearly started sobbing when she saw his tiny, bruised and bloodied face, but she could see his chest rising and falling steadily.

"Shit..." She looked up at Faith's soft swear, color draining from her face when she realized why Spike was covered in so much blood. A corpse was lying next to the crumbled door of the van, four slash marks running from cheek to mid-sternum, his face twisted in a mask of terror. Spike flinched visibly at the look on her face, a combination of fear and disgust. She jerked from him instinctually when he reached for her and she cradled her child more firmly to her chest.

Spike felt like vomiting and screaming, all at the same time as he climbed unsteadily to his feet. He heard Joyce's gasp when she finally caught up, and he closed his eyes, inhaling sharply, feeling as though his heart was breaking in his chest. And then he was whirling, letting the darkness swallow him up.

"Spike...?" Buffy whispered, a confused look crossing over her face, but then Faith was tugging her to her feet.

"Come on, B...we gotta get out out of here..."

"Spike..."

"He's fine," Faith said as Joyce gently coaxed William out of Buffy's arms, "We gotta get out of here, like...now. Come on...we need to get Will to a hospital, all right? And then we'll find Spike...I promise. Now, come on!"

 

Giles moved swiftly down hospital hallways that were much too familiar to him, trying to quell the panic that fluttered beneath his breast. He turned a corner into the waiting room, and saw that Faith and Joyce were still the only ones seated there. Joyce stood as he approached, a wan smile playing across her face.

"Joyce," He nodded in greeting, his calm British exterior not showing the worry on the not so-calm, not-so-British interior. "What happened?"

"I almost got him killed..." Faith replied before Joyce could, "I wasn't watching him, and he ran off...some bastard tried to grab him..."

"Is he all right?" Giles asked, his eyes widening a fraction.

"He's fine," Joyce assured him, "He's a little..." Her lips pressed together in a thin line, "He's a little beat-up...he needed a few stitches, but other then that...he's fine..."

"Right...and the man who tried to grab him...did you call the police?" Giles watched as Faith and Joyce exchanged an apprehensive look, "What is it? You didn't call them? Why not? That man must be apprehended as soon as pos--" Giles' word's immediately broke off, his face paling slightly, "Shit."

"Rupert!" Joyce looked at him in surprise at his swear.

"Sorry...sorry..." Giles shook his head, "It was at the mall, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Joyce chewed on her bottom lip, "It's on the news already." It was a statement, not a question.

Giles nodded, "I...I heard a radio report...they said they found an unidentified man mauled outside the mall..."

"He deserved it," Faith broke in, "I mean....come on, you should have seen the little guy...Will's blood was in the air...Spike was all panicked...he was just...protecting his son, Giles...you can't hold that against him...it's all my fault anyway. If I hadn't had lost him..."

"Faith," Joyce returned to the girl's side, taking her hand with a small smile, "Stop blaming yourself...he's a little child. They wander off sometimes. Believe me, I was constantly chasing after Buffy when she was his age..." Faith didn't reply to that, only turned her gaze away from Joyce and worried her bottom lip.

"Are Buffy and Spike in there with him?" Giles asked, but Joyce shook her head.

"Buffy is...but...we don't know where Spike went," Joyce told him quietly, "He...he ran off...I think he might think that Buffy or the rest of us will be mad at him for killing that man..."

"Why aren't you?"

Giles started, then turned to see Xander standing in the doorway, an angry look on his face, "Xander...now is not the time..."

"Why not? Sounds like the perfect time," Xander retorted, crossing his arms over his chest, "I told you he'd go back to the killing...but does anybody listen to me? Nooo...but who always turns out right in the end? Hell, I was right about Angel and look how that ended up!"

"Xander..."

"He probably ran off to bag himself some more victims. He's just a goddamned vampire...don't know why you people can't figure out he's evil. This just proves it..."

"Xander!" Giles snapped, whirling on the boy, but he was a fraction too late as Joyce moved a little faster then him. The sound of her palm striking flesh was satisfying to all that heard it.

Xander cupped his cheek, staring at the elder Summers in surprise, "Don't you dare say one more word like that about him," She hissed angrily, "That...that thing beat up my grandson and tried to kidnap him to do God knows what with him! If I had gotten there before Spike, I would have killed him myself! He was protecting his child, you self-righteous little bastard!"

Faith's eyes widened when she heard Joyce swear, probably even more shocked then Xander and Giles combined. Xander opened and closed without a sound coming out, making him look like a suffocating trout. Right then, Willow and Tara appeared, the two Wiccans pausing in the doorway, bewildered expressions on their face when they saw Xander's face, his cheek turning red, Giles cleaning his glasses, and Faith staring at Joyce in awe, while the Slayer's mother continued to glare at Xander.

"Um...did we miss something?"

 

"Miss Summers..."

With a bit of effort, Buffy turned her gaze from her poor baby's bruised face, looking up at Dr. Sumter, running a hand through her hair wearily. Hopefully, he wasn't going to ask her anymore questions. She didn't think she could handle questions...and lie convincingly. She had told the truth about Will being grabbed by a strange man, but she had fudged a bit on the facts, saying it had been at the park and not at the mall. The less association with anything that went on there that night between her family and the corpse left there, the better.

"You should go home...get some sleep. He probably won't wake till morning anyway," The doctor told her in concern.

Buffy shook her head, "No. No...I...I want to stay with him," Her voice was thick with unshed tears as she smoothed Will's hair off of his forehead, careful of the bandage taped just above his eye, protecting the small stitches beneath it. The cut would probably scar, leaving a rift in his right eyebrow. Like his father's. "If...if he wakes up, he'll be scared...I need to stay with him..."

"All right," The doctor shook his head slightly, "Listen, I'll have the nurse bring in a cot for you...you can at least avoid sleeping in a hard chair all night."

"Thanks," Buffy replied softly, turning her attention back to her son. The doctor left, closing the door to the room behind him. Buffy closed her eyes, her hand finding William's small one, and she squeezed it gently, opening her eyes again, tears pouring down her cheeks as she gazed on his unmoving form, so tiny and frail looking beneath the sickly green blankets.

We never should have left the island, she thought bitterly, swiping at the tears on her face with one hand. When deciding to come here, she had been worried about demons and vampires and other monsters...she had completely forgotten about the human monsters that stalked the streets. One less now, at least...

Her mouth twisted up when she thought of that, as if she had tasted something sour, and she was wiping away a fresh onslaught of tears. She had seen the look on Spike's face when she had flinched away from him. She hadn't meant too...she wasn't angry with him, or disgusted with him. He had saved their child...okay, maybe it was a bit of overkill...but he was a vampire, after all. His protective instincts were stronger then most, and with his son's blood on the air, and probably already nearly blind with panic, it wasn't surprising to her that there were causalities. And it's not like he was an innocent, She thought, staring at her son's bruised and swollen face. The man had taken her child, beaten him into unconsciousness and had nearly gotten away with it and Will.

So close, baby...Buffy chewed on her bottom lip, which was already ragged with her constant worrying of it. She didn't even want to think about what would have happened to her baby...their baby...if Spike hadn't been there. She didn't look up when the door opened, keeping her gaze on her sleeping child, "You can just set it by the door...I'll put it up myself..."

"Right...no idea what you're talking about..."

Buffy's head snapped up, eyes widening a bit when she saw Spike standing in the doorway, head ducked slightly, a wary look on his face. "Spike..."

"Sorry...I...I know you probably don't want me here..." He interrupted her, his voice cracking with emotion, "I...I just had to see him...is...is he all right?"

"Why wouldn't I want you here?" She watched as he jerked in evident surprise, "You...you thought I was mad at you?"

"Well...yeah..." Spike slowly approached the hospital bed, wincing as he looked down at Will. "Is...he going to be all right?"

"He's fine," Buffy told him, "Physically, at least...just a few stitches and cuts...bruises..." She shuddered, "Spike...if you hadn't had been there..."

"I know," He whispered softly, and then he was at her side as she started to weep, wrapping his arms around her, "Shh...baby...he's all right now...everything's all right..."

She nuzzled her face into his throat as he eased her onto his lap, taking her spot on the chair, and he closed his eyes, fighting back his own tears, "Where'd you go?" She asked him quietly, "I was so scared for you..."

"I...I just walked around for awhile," Spike replied softly, "I...I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me...after...thought you thought I was a monster...want to stake me...after killing that guy..."

Buffy sniffled, resting her head on his shoulder, "He almost took our baby away," She told him quietly, "You...just reacted...like when that leopard attacked me...'member? It's not like...you killed him because you were hungry or anything...you didn't feed off of him...you just wanted to protect our baby..." She turned her head to look up at him, seeing tears had spilled down his cheeks, and she reached up, angling his head down so that he was looking at her, "He is...was...the monster, not you," She told him softly, "Don't you ever think differently."

He smiled at her wanly, kissing her forehead and resting his head atop hers as he turned his gaze back to his son, "Whatever you command, luv," He replied quietly, tightening his grip on her, somewhat surprised that she had accepted him back with her so readily, even after what he had done.

Spike smiled as Buffy's breathing evened out, her face pressed against his throat as she dozed. He looked up as a nurse came in with the cot for Buffy, and she set it up beside Will's bed. Spike watched as she checked the IV line connected to Will. "Do you want another cot?" She asked Spike quietly, but he shook his head. As soon as the nurse left, he stood with Buffy and settled her on the cot, gently so not to wake her. He started to straighten, but she opened one of her eyes, and reached out her hand to clasp his, tugging him back down to her. Spike smiled as he sat on the edge of the cot, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Stay?" She asked softly, and Spike sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"Can't...daylight soon," He replied, "Hospitals aren't vamp friendly with all their windows, luv." He chuckled when she pouted, "None of that now. S'not playing fair." He lifted his head to glance at Will, sighing as he stood, brushing his lips across his son's forehead, "I'll be back as soon as the sun sets," He said as he glanced back down at her, "Promise."

"He'll miss you when he wakes up," Buffy told him, and Spike smiled sadly.

"I know. I'll miss him when I wake up too."

 

TBC...


End file.
